


The Bonds That We Hold Dear

by roxasfanfics



Series: Oneshot Collections [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Drabbles, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Oneshot collection, Romance, oneshots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-22
Updated: 2019-10-17
Packaged: 2019-11-28 04:55:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 43,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18203801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roxasfanfics/pseuds/roxasfanfics
Summary: A collection of oneshots from the fandom of Naruto.DISCLAIMER: I do not own the characters presented in these stories, aside from my OCs. Those rights belong exclusively to Masashi Kishimoto.





	1. Foreword

Hello everyone! Welcome to my oneshot collection for Naruto,  _The Bonds That We Hold Dear!_ It includes a variety of stories, from passionate romances to tales of friendship, and I hope everyone enjoys reading them as much as I enjoy writing them. If you have migrated here from  _Cuddle Corner,_ thank you for sticking with me; if you are new, welcome and enjoy what I have here! In either case, happy reading!

I do take prompts/pairing and story requests (in fact, I love them, so please feel free to request!). However, there are a couple of guidelines to keep in mind:

  * If a prompt is submitted, I do not guarantee that I will agree to write it. If I feel uncomfortable at the prompt or otherwise feel like I do not possess enough information to adequately complete the prompt, it is my right to politely refuse to take the prompt. If the prompt is from a series that I have not read/seen, it is likely that I will place the prompt on hold until I have done so. If the prompt is from an anime filler arc, I may refuse or require a short explanation of the filler arc to provide me with enough detail to complete the prompt. Please respect my choice as an author to refuse prompts. 
  * Most of the stories I write are male/female, mostly because this is what I am comfortable writing. However, if you wish to suggest a female/female or male/male prompt, please feel free to do so. I don't discriminate against such pairings and will most likely write them if requested, it is just unlikely that I will do so spontaneously. Again, please respect my decision as the author to refuse to write a pairing if I cannot draw appropriate inspiration.
  * Finally, this is  _not_ a place for smut. I respect people who read and/or write it, but I am not one of those people, so please do not request anything that is NSFW.



Below is also a list of my other oneshot collections. Please do stop by if any of them pique your interest! Is there a fandom you love not represented? Please recommend it to me! I love new things to read. 

  * Love on the High Seas (One Piece)
  * Tales of Connected Souls (Bleach)
  * Tales from the Four Tribes (Avatar: The Last Airbender and Avatar: The Legend of Korra)
  * Equivalent Exchange: My Life for Yours (Fullmetal Alchemist)
  * Love Burning Bright (Blue Exorcist)
  * Tales of the Dawning Sun (Yona of the Dawn)
  * Love on a Fairy's Wing (Fairy Tail)
  * Tales of Resonating Souls (Soul Eater)
  * Tales from Ouran High (Ouran High School Host Club)



 


	2. Index

**Chapter 1:** An Unexpected Addition _(Sasuke/Sakura/Naruto)_

 **Chapter 2:** Hide and Seek _(Naruto/Himawari)_

 **Chapter 3:** The First Time Babysitting _(Gaara/Kankuro/Temari/Shikadai)_

 **Chapter 4:** Valentine's Day _(Naruto/Hinata)_

 **Chapter 5:** The Big Competition _(Choji/Female OC)_

 **Chapter 6:** The Anniversary _(Kiba/Female OC)_

 **Chapter 7:** Bad Dream _(Naruto/Boruto)_

 **Chapter 8:** The First Date _(Lee/Female OC)_

 **Chapter 9:** A Twist of Fate _(Kiba/Female OC)_

 **Chapter 10:** Another Sleepless Night _(Sasuke/Sakura)_

 **Chapter 11:** Colors _(Shikamaru/Temari)_

 **Chapter 12:** Home _(Minato/Kushina)_

 **Chapter 13:** Christmas Morning _(Sakura/Sasuke/Sarada)_

 **Chapter 14:** A Dog’s Day _(Akamaru/Kiba)_

 **Chapter 15:** Marry Me _(Shikamaru/Female OC)_

 **Chapter 16:** Her, Like the Sun, and Him, Like the Clouds _(Shikamaru/Temari)_

 **Chapter 17:** Glowing _(Rock Lee/Naruto Uzumaki/Gaara)_

 **Chapter 18:** Life's a Circus _(Naruto/Sakura)_


	3. An Unexpected Addition

Category: Friendship Fluff/Mild Romantic Fluff

Characters: Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Sasuke Uchiha

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura splashed across the sidewalk, holding their jackets above their heads to stave off the pouring rain. The swell had come along unexpectedly while they were on a trip to the corner store to buy a six-pack of beer for a typical Friday night, and has caught then unawares. As lightning crashed overhead and thunder rolled across the story grey clouds, the trio of young adults hurried through the night to their apartment.

“Agh! This is my favorite jacket!” Naruto whined as he took the steps to the apartment two at a time, grimacing as the water pouring from the roof crashed over him like a violent waterfall, drenching him from head to toe. He shuddered as he felt the streams of storm water running down his back, making him wriggle uncomfortably. He stamped his feet on the mat as he bundled with his friends by the front door, and Sasuke cursed as he fumbled in his pants pockets for the keys.

“This sucks,” the raven-haired boy muttered, flicking his bangs out of his face and sending droplets of water arcing through the air. Finally, the boy managed to retrieve the set of apartment keys and shoved past the blonde-haired boy to stick them into the lock and open the door. Abruptly, Sakura unleashed a shrill scream, and the two boys glanced down to see a furry _something_ darting past their feet to bolt into the entryway and scrabble across the linoleum floor into their kitchen.

“What was that?” Sakura wailed in distress as she clung to Sasuke's back, her jeans leg soaked from where the little creature had shot past her. Naruto raised his eyebrows uncertainly as he stepped into the apartment, following the little wet puddles of water down the hallway and into the kitchen. Whatever it was sat huddled in the corner of the room, trembling violently. It had curled up into a tiny ball, and so it was impossible to tell what exactly it was.

Sakura peered over his shoulder, blinking as water dripped from her bubblegum pink hair, and Sasuke came up on his other side with a raised eyebrow.

“What should we do with it?” Sasuke asked grumpily.

“Poke it with a stick?” Naruto suggested. Sakura blinked, and then grabbed the next best thing- a wooden spoon. She shoved it into his hands and shoved him forward, and the rapid movement startled the little creature, making it squeak in alarm and push itself father into the corner. Naruto swallowed and slowly crouched down, holding out the wooden spoon gingerly toward the little furball. _God, I hope it’s not a rat!_ He thought with a small whine as he squeezed his eyes shut and prodded the sopping wet _thing_ with the end of the spoon. He heard Sakura cry out, and his eyes shot open to see that the little creature had raised its head.

“It’s a kitten,” Sasuke remarked. Indeed, the small, baby cat was gazing at him with wide blue eyes. It was a bedraggled thing with matted gray fur and unusually big ears. The kitten mewed pitifully and came tottering over to him, and Naruto hastily dropped the wooden spoon to pick the kitten up in his hands. It was so tiny that it easily fit in his palm. He held the pathetic creature to his chest and stood up, turning around so the other two could see.

“Oh! It’s so cute,” Sakura cooed and reached out to gently scratch the top of the kitten’s head. Naruto smiled sweetly as he felt it begin to purr loudly. “Awww… Poor little thing. He’s drenched…” she frowned.

“I guess it must have got caught in the rain just like us,” Sasuke remarked, reaching out to grab a dish towel and toss it to Naruto. He caught it and wrapped the kitten in it, rubbing it vigorously to dry its fur and warm it up. The kitten made mewling sounds and squirmed in his grasp, making him snicker. Sakura walked to the cabinet to retrieve a bowl and then to the refrigerator to grab the jug of milk, and then squatted down to pour some milk into the bowl. Naruto bent down and set the kitten back down on the floor, smiling as he watched it totter to the milk sand begin lapping it up eagerly. Due to the vigorous rubbing, it’s fur was sticking out in all directions, like he was some fluffy pincushion.

“He is so precious! Oh, can we keep him?” Sakura laughed as she petted the baby cat happily. She looked up pleadingly at Sasuke, who snorted and looked away as he scratched his neck. Sasuke, being the major provider of the household since he was the only one with a job at the moment and the primary lease holder, had the final say.

“Please, Sasuke?” Naruto pleaded and clapped his hands together in a form of begging.

“Come on, guys, I don’t have the money to take care of some scrawny cat,” he mumbled as he gazed down at the bedraggled creature. It looked up at Sasuke and mewed, milk dripping from its little mouth. Sasuke raised an eyebrow and went lightly pink, then sighed heavily and shoved his feet deep into his pockets. “Ugh. One night, and then we take it to the shelter in the morning,” he compromised and went stomping off through the apartment, shoes squelching as he walked. Sakura and Naruto pouted in disappointment, while the oblivious kitten wobbled about exploring its new environment.

After the three of them had changed into warm clothes, they gathered in the living room with their six-pack of beer to sit in front of the television and watch the Friday night football game. Even though Naruto was the most interested in the sport, they still made a little tradition of it, because it was something to do and an excuse to drink. Naruto propped his feet up on the table and sipped his beer, and an eyebrow crept up as the little gray kitten scampered into the room and began nosing around. It wasn’t long until it sauntered up to the couch and began jumping up, meowing at them.

“Hehe,” Naruto smirked and bent down to grab it by the scruff and pull it onto the couch. It stood up on its tummy and stared at the television, its little tail waving, before yawning and curling up on his belly. It began to purr again, so loudly that its entire body vibrated, and Naruto smiled and stroked the little kitten’s back soothingly.

“Look at it, Sasuke,” Sakura pressed, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend's and tugging on it pleadingly. The man gave a sidelong glance at the kitten and sniffed, obviously not impressed. He just took a long swig of his beer and settled down into the couch, staring blankly at the flashing screen.

After finishing off the six-pack and a particularly uninteresting game, the three ended up fast asleep on the living room couch. Sasuke awoke groggily and was perplexed to feel a small weight on his chest, and he glanced down to see that the kitten had wound itself around his neck, snoozing under his chin. His eyes widened slightly at the slightly uncomfortable feeling of the fur against his skin, and as he shifted slightly, the kitten raised its head to stare up at him with wide, curious blue eyes. It meowed quietly, then licked his chin with its tiny, scratchy pink tongue. He felt the heat rise to his cheeks. _Now that I think about it… It is kind of cute…_ he thought, reaching up with a finger to scratch it under the chin.

The kitten began to purr loudly, its eyes drifting closed in happiness. A smile formed on Sasuke's face; he couldn’t help it. _Little furball…_

“Well. Looks like Sasuke isn’t that tough after all, huh?” came a snide voice, and Sasuke blushed to see that Naruto was grinning stupidly at him. The cat raised its head at the sound of his voice, then hopped down from Sasuke's chest to crawl up Naruto's and begin licking his chin. His friend snickered and wriggled under the tickling sensation, petting the kitten happily. At the commotion, Sakura stirred and sat up sleepily, rubbing her eyes.

“Ah, he slept with us,” she smiled gently. “He has no idea that he’s about to leave, does he?” she added with a small sigh. Sasuke wrinkled his nose as surprising guilt welled up inside him, and as he watched the little kitten waddle over to Sakura and begin mewing. _She looks so happy,_ he thought as his girlfriend’s face lit up with delight. Talking it a high-pitched, nonsense voice, she began playing with it, flipping it onto its back to tickle its belly. “Haha! It’s a boy!” she laughed.

“… Let’s keep him,” Sasuke said abruptly, and both Sakura and Naruto gasped as they looked up at him in surprise.

“Really? What about all that stuff about not having the money?” Naruto cried.

“Eh. I’ll be getting a promotion soon. Plus, he’s small, he probably doesn’t eat that much,” Sasuke smirked and reached out to pet the kitten. The little thing was still in a playful mood, and so it chomped down onto the end of his index finger, nibbling at it eagerly. “Huh. What do you guys think about naming him Nibbles?” he mused.

“Nibbles,” Naruto nodded in approval. “I think it’s great.”

“Yeah. Nibbles, how do you like that?” Sakura giggled and picked up the cat to hold it up in front of her face. The cat mewed happily, and that was how the three young twenty-somethings landed the unexpected addition to their family.


	4. Hide and Seek

Category: Family Fluff

Characters: Naruto Uzumaki and Himawari Uzumaki

Naruto glanced up from the mission report he was writing at the kitchen table when he heard furious footsteps echoing down the hallway. As he straightened up to roll his stiff shoulders, his eyebrows raised as his three-year-old daughter came careening around the corner, her unsteady feet lathering over the wooden floor as she ran up to her father. He could not help but smile at her in her little dress and little shoes. _I really have an adorable daughter!_ He grinned, scooting out his chair as she approached. Giggling, she huffed his leg with chubby arms.

“Daddy! Place hide and go seek with me!” Himawari begged with a wide smile, pulling at the leg of his jumpsuit pleadingly. “Please? Please?” She insisted as he looked back down at the half-finished report. “Mommy is doing laundry, so she can’t play!” As she gazed expectantly up at him with pleading blue eyes, he felt his heart constrict at the thought of refusing her.

“Okay,” he agreed, and she squeaked with delight and stamped her feet as he obediently rose from the kitchen chair. She jumped up to grab him by the hand, and he had to stoop so she could pull him along into the living room.

“Here, Daddy! Sit here!” she commanded eagerly and pointed to the living room couch. He plopped down as bid, and, with some effort, Himawari clambered up beside him and sat up on her knees. “Now close your eyes! No peeking, Daddy!” she warned him as she reached up and closed his eyes with her tiny fingers. As a smile spread across his face, she giggled. “Count to ten- no, twenty!” she demanded. He felt her wriggle down off the couch and landed unsteadily on the living room floor, and then poke him in the knee. “You’re not peeking, right?” She asked suspiciously.

“Of course not!” he huffed proudly, screwing his eyes shut tighter so his daughter could see. “Now, go hide! One… Two…” As he began to count, Himawari screamed and took off into the house, and he heard the feverish pitter-patter of her steps echo throughout the building. He leaned back into the couch with a wide smile, reminded of how blessed he was to have such a wonderful family. “Fifteen… Sixteen…”

“Wait! Wait! I’m not ready!” Himawari wailed, and he heard her run from one end of the house to the other in her desperate attempt to find a hiding spot.

“Nineteen… Nineteen and a quarter… Nineteen and a half… Nineteen and three-quarters… Twenty!” he shouted and opened his eyes, giving a quick sweep around the room before rising from the couch and proceeding into the hallway. He slunk across the wooden floor, snickering. “Come out, come out, where ever you are!” he called into the house, and he froze for a moment when he heard a distant, girlish giggle. Adjusting his course to the sound, he proceeded into the master bedroom.

“Himawaaaaariiiii,” he called with a grin, and as expected, the young girl who thought she was clever couldn’t help but release a stream of laughter. It was much closer now, and he followed the sound to the adjacent spare bedroom. In the curtain was a suspicious Himawari-sized lump. Naruto straightened up, then grinned and made a show of making his rounds around the room. “Are you in here?!” he cried as he wrenched the closer door open, and the lump in the curtain quivered a little. “Nope. How about… under the bed?” he said loudly as he dropped to the floor to look beneath the bed frame. He could see Himawari's little shoes peeking out from beneath the curtain. “Not here, either? Oh, where is my little Himawari?” he sighed deeply and stood up. The lump giggled, then gasped and shushed itself. Naruto clasped his hands behind his back and strolled around the room in fake thought. “Oh, well. I guess she isn’t here!” he announced before leaving the room. He heard his daughter's giggles floating after him.

Naruto made a racket searching the rest of the house, occasionally inciting more laughter from the toddler, before he collapsed onto the living room couch with a dramatic sigh. “I can’t find Himawari anywhere!” he walked, placing a hand over his eyes in mock misery. “I guess she's gone forever… oh, what will I do?” he cried and then began to loudly fake cry. It wasn’t long before the feverish pitter-patter echoed through the house again.

“No, Daddy! Don’t cry! I’m here, I’m here!” she cried as she launched herself at him, and he grinned widely as he caught her under the arms and lifted her high into the air.

“There you are! Oh, I was do worried I would never find you!” he smiled happily and then dropped her into a tight hug.

“Ow! Daddy, you’re squishing me!” Himawari laughed as he rocked her back and forth, hugging her tightly. He propped her up on his knees to kiss her forehead. She smiled brightly at him and squirmed under his assault of affection. “Okay, Daddy! Your turn to hide!” she grinned as she waved her arms emphatically and pointed to the hallway. He set her down on the couch and took off as she covered her eyes and began counting.

 _I really do have the best family!_ He thought with a snicker as he listened to his daughter's voice echoing through the house. _Now, where to hide?_


	5. The Big Competition

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Choji Akimichi and Female OC

Choji's mouth watered as the scent of freshly cooked hot dogs wafted up his nose, and as he closed his eyes to deeply inhale the familiar, delectable fragrance, he felt at ease. A grin made its way into his face as he stood outside the entrance to the annual Konoha City Hot Dog Eating Competition- his realm, his castle, his place of honor. Suddenly filled with burning resolve, his eyes snapped open and he unleashed a startlingly loud battle cry, scaring quite a few onlookers. Oblivious, he punched the air repeatedly as he geared himself up for the challenge.

“All right!” he roared. “Time to defend my title! I have a date with a tray of hot dogs!” Beside him, Shikamaru ran a hand over his face and likely contemplated why he had agreed to attend the function in the first place.

“Come on, Choji, you’re making a fool of yourself!” the moody boy whined as he shoved his hands in his pockets and slouched miserably as he gazed at the rancorous social function. The event had not yet begun, and so the attendees were wandering around socializing and mingling. Men and women alike loitered about with cups of beer in their hands, and occasionally a chorus of guffaws would echo through the open field in response to some uttered joke. Children ran about playing touch football or tag, while the shyer kids clung to their mother's skirts and shirts while watching the entire boisterous affair with wide, unnerved eyes. It was a loud, proud affair, and Choji loved every minute of it.

“I can’t help it, Shikamaru! I have a good feeling about this!” he grinned devilishly, and then froze on the spot as his gaze landed on a beautiful black-haired woman strolling casually up to the entrance gate. “Ohh…” he swooned as she tossed her hair over her shoulder and rested a hand on her hip. She was small, no more than 100 pounds, and had a petite figure. That wasn’t what attracted Choji, though. She had _natural_ beauty, more than he had ever seen; she was dressed in a baggy t-shirt and a pair of sweats, and had not one bit of make-up on, and her ebony hair was tied back into a messy bun- yet, to him she looked like the most radiant goddess. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at the eerily silent man, and followed his star-struck gaze to the unassuming beauty standing at the entrance gate. He then smiled knowingly.

“Whadaya know. Choji's got the hots,” Shikamaru smirked and nudged Choji in the ribs with his elbow. “Go talk to her, bud.”

“What?!” Choji screeched, wrenched out of his stupor by the absurd suggestion. “Now way! She’s way out of my league!” he moped as the pretty woman edged forward in line. Shikamaru frowned deeply.

“What?” he said in slight incredulity. “You’re kidding, right? What girl wouldn’t want a guy like you? Sensitive, kind, knows his way around the dinner table. You’re a catch, my friend,” he mused, and before Choji could object, Shikamaru stood behind him and promptly planted his foot in the small of Choji's back. Unprepared, the larger man lost his balance and stumbled gracelessly into the line of people, landing in a crumpled heat at the feet of the gorgeous woman. He sat up while rubbing his back, cursing Shikamaru under his breath, then went beet red when a small hand appeared in front of his face.

“Are you okay?” the pretty woman smiled brightly down at him. His mouth opened and closed as he gawked up at her, and it was a good for seconds before he managed a coherent thought. _I’ve died and gone to Heaven,_ he thought dumbly as he robotically took the offered hand. He raised his eyebrows as the girl easily pulled him to his feet, despite the fact that he was easily three to four times her size.

“Wow! You’re pretty strong, aren’t you?” he smiled bashfully at her. Now that he was up close, he could see that though she was slim, she was nearly all muscle. She laughed at him and waved a hand dismissively.

“I have a pretty strict workout regimen,” she explained, then frowned and reached out for him once more. “Oh, your shorts are covered in dirt. May I?” She asked, and though he was internally screaming like a lunatic, he managed to seem calm and collected as the attractive woman brushed the dust off of his shorts. “There,” she nodded approvingly and straightened up.

“Wh-what’s your name?” he blurted stupidly, unable to contain himself. He then remembered his manners. “I-I’m Choji Akimichi! Thank you for helping me up!” he sputtered and bowed his head graciously. The girl laughed once more, and Choji thought that he had never heard a more beautiful sound in all of his life.

“Nice to meet you, Choji. My name is Mikan Arashi,” she responded politely, then narrowed her eyes slightly and cocked her head to the side in thought. “Forgive me if I am mistaken, but you are the current champion and record-holder for this competition, correct?” She inquired, and Choji felt his heart do a backflip. _She knows who I am!_ He thought with a stupid grin.

“Yes! I am!” he laughed casually and rubbed the back of his head in mock embarrassment, but in all honestly, he was bursting with pride. Mikan laughed delightedly and clapped her hands together.

“Oh, wow! To think I would have the champion stumble right at my feet!” she giggled. _To think I would stumble at the feet of a girl who appreciates me for my talent!_ Choji beamed as he puffed out his chest with pride. He instantly deflated as she added, “It’s going to be so much fun competing with you!”

“Saywhatnow?” he blinked, and off to the side he heard Shikamaru erupt into a fit of snickers. Mikan blinked innocently.

“Oh, I didn’t mention? I’m a competitive eater myself. I came to compete today. See?” She explained, pulling a badge out of her purse and showing it to him. It was identical to the badge Choji wore on a lanyard around his neck, indicating that he was a competitor in the competition. Choji's mouth fell open in complete and total shock as he regarded the tiny woman that was more or less insinuating that she could out-eat him. Seemingly oblivious to the fact she had basically steamrolled him, she glanced over her shoulder as the gate attendant called out for her. “Oh, I guess it’s my turn to check in now. It was nice to meet you! See you soon, huh?” She smiled jovially at him before bouncing cheerfully to the attendant. Choji gawked after her until Shikamaru came up alongside him and clapped his mouth shut.

“Out of your league, my ass. You two are made for each other!” he cackled, thoroughly amused at the turn of events. Choji gulped and trudged towards the gate to check in, his mind struggling to process the image of the little woman inhaling a tray of hot dogs.

About an hour later, he was standing at a simple row of fold-out tables covered with a simple tablecloth, while Shikamaru joined the other spectators in the bleachers in front of the stage. An announcer was busy getting the crowd riled up for the event, but Choji was barely listening, as he was trying to get himself into the zone. He twitched when he heard a cheerful voice calling out to him a few chairs down, and he cracked an eye open to see Mikan waving at him. _She’s mouthing something,_ he thought with narrowing eyes.

 _Good luck!_ She was saying. He gave her a half-hearted smile and a wiggle of his fingers before returning to the task at hand, but he was struggling to find his zen now that the girl had interrupted him. _Is it really okay for her to be doing something like this? She’s so small,_ he doubted. Abruptly, the signal for the competition to begin suddenly sounded, and he jerked in shock. He had been so unfocused that he hadn't realized that they were so close to beginning, and he lost precious seconds gathering himself. He began shoving a hot dog into his mouth.

 _Focus, Choji!_ He told himself as he chomped away. _Forget Mikan! You have a title to defend! All of these other guys are tough customers!_ Indeed, the competition was rough. Several competitors from abroad were here, and some of them were world-renowned. Many of them were bigger than Choji, with mouths large enough to fit a hot dog whole. _I won’t lose!_ He thought determinedly, the burning resolve igniting inside him once more. He went into overdrive, mindlessly consuming the hot dogs one after the other.

“CHOJI!” came a sudden scream over the cheers of the crowd, and he caught the image of Shikamaru waving frantically at him in the crowd. He was pointing, and he followed his gaze to the table. He almost choked when he realized why Shikamaru was so flustered.

 _Mikan?!?!_ He thought in disbelief. The tiny girl had cleared her way through an entire tray in five minutes and was already working on her second. _Each tray has twenty hot dogs on it! There’s no way!_ He thought with wide eyes. She was completely different now, her cheerful disposition abandoned for an aura of complete and total concentration. The crowd was losing it as the announcer took notice of the young girl.

“Look at this upset, folks!” he cried into the microphone. “In the lead is newcomer Mikan Arashi from our very own Konoha City! She s leading by three dogs, ahead of our four-year champion Choji Akimichi! Will he be able to catch up, or will we be announcing a new champion this year?!”

Mikan seemed completely oblivious to the excited conjectures, powering through the plate without such as a glance at the announcer. Meanwhile, Choji was feeling the heat. He began shoving the food into his mouth feverishly. _I can’t believe it! That little girl is out-eating me! How?_ Despite his effort, though, Mikan remained ahead of him until the final minute. In that short period, two people collapsed with stomach aches, and several of the competitors had overextended themselves from lack of pacing. Mikan and Choji were still steadily plodding along, now working through their third tray.

“Come on, Choji!” Shikamaru called. Choji wondered why Shikamaru was suddenly so interested in his success, but he found the cheering very motivating. He picked up the pace slightly, decreasing the margin between himself and Mikan.

“Amazing! Choji Akimichi is now only one hot dog away from Mikan, with thirty seconds left! Who will win?” the announcer shouted. Choji chomped away, but knew that unless he did something drastic he would not win.

“SHOW THEM WHAT YOU’RE MADE OF, FATSO!” Shikamaru screamed suddenly, and Choji’s ears twitched. _Fatso?!_ He thought as rage flared inside of him.

“THAT’S IT!” he roared. “I’LL KICK YOUR ASS FOR THAT, SHIKAMARU! I’M JUST CHUBBY AND YOU KNOW IIIIIIIIIT!”

“Fifteen seconds!” came the time announcement. Pouring his anger into consuming the food, Choji dug into the try with gusto. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Mikan begin to increase her pace as well, and the crowd grew quiet as they watched the two competitors frantically try to outpace the other. Abruptly, Choji's stomach twisted into a knot and he felt nauseous. _No! Just a little more-!_ He thought as he tried to finish of the hot dog, but it was no good. Mikan had her eyes squeezed shut with effort as she finished off her hot dog, and then the alarm sounded signaling the end of the competition. _What was the result? I lost track!_ He thought as the judges came around to tally scores. Choji collapsed into the chair, panting and gingerly rubbing his belly. _Man, I overdid it!_

“I don’t believe it, folks!” the announcer cried suddenly, making Choji crack an eye open. “We have our winner! The award goes to…” he paused, and everyone in the area leaned on the edge of the seats as they breathlessly awaited the answer. “Your new champion, Mikan Arashi!” The field exploded with roars of approval, and a red-faced Mikan smiled bashfully as she accepted the giant trophy and was escorted to center stage by the announcer. Choji couldn’t help but smile.

“Heh. She really is out of my league after all,” he murmured, leaning his cheek in his hand.

After, he and Shikamaru were walking out to the parking lot.

“Man, I never would’ve thought she could out-eat you, Choji. I still can’t believe forty-five hot dogs fit into that little body! Does she have three stomachs or something?” Shikamaru cried as he pulled slightly at his hair in shock. Choji nodded with a slight chuckle. It was a hard pill to swallow, but at the same time he found it awe-inspiring. _Just goes to show you that you can do anything if you work for it,_ he thought as he put his hands in his pockets. He slowed to a stop when he heard a familiar voice floating over the wind, and he glanced behind him.

“Choji! Waiiiiiiiit!” Mikan was shouting as she jogged unsteadily towards them, toting the heavy trophy. Choji’s eyes widened as she came to a stop in front of him, panting heavily. She doubled over for a second as she sucked in breath, and after a minute she was able to look up at him.

“I… I wanted to…” she huffed between breaths. “S-S-say… Good job…!”

“Huh? I should be saying that to you!” Choji blinked at her. _Well, at least she’s gracious._ Mikan blushed at that, holding the trophy awkwardly in her slim arms. She avoided his gaze, gradually turning redder, and Choji frowned in confusion as Shikamaru started elbowing him in the ribs.

“Th-that’s not all!” she squeaked abruptly, and he jumped slightly, caught off-guard by her level of emotion. She stared at him intently, blushing brightly, before she cried, “I-i-I wanted to tell you that you’re very attractive and if it w-wasn’t too much trouble, can we go on a d-d-date sometime?” once again, Choji's mouth fell open in shock. _She thinks I’m attractive?_ He thought as his soul, now at peace, began to leave his body to ascend to a higher plane.

“Yeah, yeah, he’ll go,” Shikamaru sighed as Choji stood there dumb-founded, stepping in front of him to hand over Choji's contact information. “I promise, he’s not usually this weird, but he’s not good around girls.” He mused and patted Choji reassuringly on the back. Mikan beamed in delight at him, so happy that tears were forming in the corners of her eyes.

“I’m looking forward to it! I’ll call you tonight, is that okay?” She asked, and it took a rough shove from his friend for Choji to finally return to reality.

“Urk! Yeah! That’ll work!” he cried. Mikan laughed blissfully, and Choji amended his earlier statement to say that her laugh right then was _definitely_ the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. His shoulders sagged and a satisfied sigh escaped out of him as he watched the cheerful girl hurry off into the parking lot. “I’m in love,” he decided.

“Yeah, okay, big guy. One step at a time,” Shikamaru shook his head and patted him on the back. “Let’s go. You hungry?”

“Oh yeah! Let’s go get some barbecue!” he howled happily, and took off for the car in excitement. Not sharing his enthusiasm, Shikamaru trudged along behind, but had a smile to match Choji's.

 _I may have lost the competition, but I’m definitely the real winner here!_ He thought with a snicker as he raced across the asphalt, practically flying with happiness.  


	6. The First Time Babysitting

Category: Family Fluff

Characters: Gaara, Kankuro, Temari, and Shikadai Nara

Gaara sat cross-legged on the floor of his sister's home, smiling slightly as he watched his eight-month-old nephew sprawled out on his belly fervently coloring in a coloring book. The boy still hadn’t grasped the concept of staying in the lines yet, but any time he grabbed the book and held it up for his young uncle to see, Gaara made a point to act as if it were the greatest work of art he had ever clapped eyes on. Shikadai would giggle excitedly and then resume working with gusto. _I can’t believe he’s almost a year old already,_ the Kazekage thought with a small sigh. _Next thing you know, I’ll be old…_

“Hey, squirt, throw some blue in there,” Kankuro called to the child with a small smirk. His elder brother, and his advisor, was stretched out on the couch with one leg up and his hands behind his head, watching the little boy in amusement. Shikadai blinked up at him, glanced down at his pile of crayons, and stared thoughtfully at them before grabbing the blue one and holding it up to his other uncle. “Yeah. That one!” Kankuro affirmed, and Shikadai grinned before scribbling madly all over the depiction of a puppy he was currently filling in.

“Ugh, I can’t believe this!” came an irritated cry from the kitchen. Gaara and Kankuro both turned as their sister Temari walked into the room wearing an annoyed expression. “Guys, I’m sorry, but I just realized that there were a few things that I left off the shopping list for dinner tonight. You don’t mind hanging out here while I go get them, do you?”

“Nope. Means I can catch a nap,” Kankuro mused and promptly rolled onto his side to face the back of the couch. Gaara narrowed his eyes slightly as Temari walked across the room and leaned down to pick up Shikadai.

“Come on, you’re going to go shopping with Mommy,” she sighed as she lifted the boy into her arms and squatted down to begin cleaning up his coloring workspace.

“Temari, you don’t have to take him. Kankuro and I can watch him,” Gaara offered. Part of him was just being polite, but another part of him really hoped that she agreed; even though Shikadai was already eight months old, he had never actually babysat his nephew for any extensive amount of time. At his brother's offer, Kankuro made a choking sound and abruptly say up with wide eyes. Temari narrowed hers.

“Are you sure?” She asked, her expression betraying hesitation. “I’ll be gone for an hour or two, and Shikadai _is_ a handful sometimes…”

“If I can handle leading the Allied Shinobi Forces to war, I can handle babysitting a toddler,” he frowned up at her. Kankuro whined loudly and flopped back into the couch cushions, but made no move to openly object. Temari glanced down at her precious baby, weighing the options, then nodded and stopped down to set Shikadai back down onto the rug.

“All right. Let me get my things together, and I’ll explain what you need to do,” she agreed and walked out of the room. Gaara smiled at his young nephew and reached out to gently poke him in the forehead.

“Looks like you and I are going to be getting to know each other better.” He grimaced and hurriedly withdrew his hand as Shikadai clamped his mouth on his index finger; slightly disgusted, Gaara wiped off the baby's saliva on his hand while Kankuro snorted with laughter.

About fifteen minutes later, Shikadai was sitting in a high chair banging a plastic spoon around while the two brothers stood with their sister in the doorway.

“Okay. Make sure he eats all of this. He’s picky, so it may take a while,” Temari instructed as she held a jar of baby food out to them. Gaara took it with a nod. “Are you sure you guys don’t need me to explain how to change a diaper again?” She asked with raised eyebrows.

“Come on, Temari, it’s not that hard. We can do it,” Kankuro frowned as he shoved his hands in his pockets and looked doubtfully at the toddler. Temari sniffed, but did not refute him.

“He shouldn’t want to take a nap until after I get back, but on the off chance he does get tired, he usually likes a lullaby before you lay him down into the crib,” she added with a fretful look at Shikadai. He heard Kankuro mutter, “I am _not_ singing to that brat.” “Make sure not to feed him too fast, he may get a stomachache. If he does, I have medicine-"

“Temari,” Gaara interjected with a small smile. “We'll take care of him. Promise. Leave it to us.” Temari blinked at him, then sighed deeply and nodded slowly. Then, with a small wave to her child, she bowed her head to her brothers and exited the house. Gaara closed the door after her, and turned to look at his nephew, who had begun screaming and bouncing in his high chair.

“What have you gotten us into?” Kankuro groaned, then hastily ducked as Shikadai flung the spoon at the front door. The boy laughed hysterically as the utensil landed into Kankuro's brown hair. Gaara smiled and clapped his brother on the back before gripping the jar of baby food and proceeding into the kitchen. Kankuro cursed before following after him with the spoon.

“Okay, Shikadai, it’s time to eat,” Gaara said as he opened the tiny jar and retrieved the spoon from his brother. He scooped up a small spoonful of the party substance and held it to Shikadai's mouth. The boy blinked, then abruptly cried out and flung the spoon away. Gaara jumped as pureed peas and carrots splattered across his face and into his hair. Kankuro blinked, then fell to the floor in a hysterical fit of laughter, while Gaara sighed deeply and cleaned off his face with a napkin. “Shikadai. You have to eat this. Your mother said so,” he frowned and tried again. This time, Shikadai flung the spoon into Kankuro's face, which made him feel slightly better about the whole situation.

“Oh, come on, you little brat,” Kankuro frowned as he wiped his face off with a black sleeve. Snatching the jar and spoon from Gaara, he scooped up the baby food and held it out, but far enough out of Shikadai's reach that it would not be flung a third time. The baby stuck out his tongue before turning his nose up at it.

“I think we have to convince him it’s good,” Gaara frowned.

“What? Ugh, fine,” Kankuro grumbled before chomping down on the spoon. Gaara raised an eyebrow as a visible shudder ran from his brother's toes to the tip of his hair, but to his credit, he swallowed and forced a smile. “See, it’s good. _Now eat it_ ,” he huffed and tried again. Shikadai stared at it thoughtfully before inching forward and opening his mouth obediently. Laughing lightly, Kankuro put the spoon in his waiting mouth, and Shikadai ate it and smacked his lips together, a little bit of the baby food leaking out of his mouth.

“Well, that’s a start,” Gaara sighed as Shikadai looked expectantly up at Kankuro and opened his mouth again.

“Yeah. It’s kinda cute,” Kankuro smiled lightly and spooned more of the mixture into the baby's mouth. After that, it was quite easy to get Shikadai to finish off the jar, and after cleaning up the toddlerXs face they brought him back into the living room and set him down on the rug. “Now what?” Kankuro blinked as they both stared down at the baby, who was sitting on his behind staring right back at them. They both cried out in alarm as he abruptly began to wail.

“Ah! What’s wrong with him?” Gaara cried.

“Don’t ask me!” Kankuro yelled back. Shikadai raised his hands to his eyes as he cried harder, tears streaming down his chubby cheeks.

“Waaaaaah! Maaaamaaaaa!” he sobbed.

“Eh? He wants Temari!” Kankuro realized, then, with a strained smile, he reached out and awkwardly patted Shikadai's head. “Your mom went to the store. She’ll be back soon, Shikadai. Don’t you want to have fun with your uncles?” Shikadai screamed so loud that Gaara’s rang and slapped Kankuro's hand, making his brother scowl and snap his arm back, cradling it against his chest. “What do we do?” he hissed to Gaara.

“Uh… Uh… What do babies like? Oh!” he gasped and covered his face with both hands. “Peek-a-boo!” he cried and revealed his face, leaning forward. Shikadai stopped wailing and stared at him miserably, sniffling with snot running down his face. _It’s working._ Gaara covered his face again. “Where's Shikadai?” he asked, then uncovered his face and shot forward again. “There he is!” Shikadai jumped, then giggled and waved his arms in excitement. The toddler then turned to Kankuro, who just stared. Gaara nudged him roughly in the ribs with his elbow.

“What? Oh, man. Fine,” he sighed and covered his face. “Wherrrrrre's Shikadai?” he asked, then repeated his brother's actions. “There he is!” Delighted now, Shikadai laughed uncontrollably. Grinning, the two brothers took turns playing peek-a-boo with the little boy until they were both panting from the effort and Shikadai had fallen onto his back and was kicking his stubby feet into the air. Abruptly, they both wrinkled their noses as a foul smell wafted up from the baby's diaper.

“Oh no,” Gaara frowned as he straightened up.

“I guess we have to change it,” Kankuro nodded. They retrieved the diaper bag Temari had left for them and settled Shikadai on his back on the floor, then frowned as they gazed hesitantly down at the task at hand. “Uh. You do it!” his brother cried and thrust the clean diaper at him.

“You’re the older one. You do it,” Gaara shook his head and thrust it back. Despite what he had said to Temari, this seemed to be a much bigger problem than he had anticipated.

“What happened to ‘I led the Allied Shinobi Forces; I can do anything’?” Kankuro shot back in a mocking voice and slammed him in the chest with the diaper. Gaara felt the wind get knocked out of him, and now that his pride was bruised, he glared at Kankuro and snatched the absorbent underpants haughtily and situated himself in front of the cooing baby. He felt a bead of sweat run down the side of his face as he tried to recall Temari brief instructions. _Okay… First I undo these straps here,_ he recalled and reached down, pulling off the velcro-like straps that secured the diaper. As it dropped open, both he and Kankuro covered their noses and almost retched.

“What died?!” Kankuro wailed with watery eyes. Gaara steeled his nerves and glanced back down at the soiled diaper, having found a new respect for mothers and his sister, and held his breath as he returned to the task. Quickly, he grabbed Shikadai gently by the ankles and lifted him up to wipe his little behind and replace the soiled diaper. Kankuro quickly wrapped it up and jumped up to dispose of the vile thing into the outside trashcan, while Gaara wrestled with placing the new diaper on his nephew.

“No, stay still,” he huffed as Shikadai started to roll onto his belly. Struggling with the straps, he looked up unconfidently at his brother when he returned, who grabbed Shikadai under the arms to hold him up. They both watched miserably as the diaper fell to the floor with a soft _plop._

“Well, that’s not right,” Kankuro sighed. Shikadai blinked at them, and then the brothers cried out in disgust as the little boy suddenly decided that it was a good time to empty his bladder. Looking forlornly down at his wet front, Kankuro laid the boy back down and tried to hold onto the last shred of his patience. “You are as annoying as your father,” he grumbled as he snatched up another diaper and fumbled to put it onto the wriggling child. After a few more tries and another unexpected bath, they managed to produce an acceptable product.

“I never want kids,” Kankuro huffed as he watched Shikadai stack blocks on the living room floor. Gaara pulled at the collar of his uncomfortably wet shirt and nodded in agreement. By the time their clothes had dried, they were wondering where Temari was. Suddenly, Shikadai yawned loudly and looked at them, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

“Tired,” he mumbled and promptly flopped over onto his side. Gaara sighed and rose to his feet to walk over to the baby and lift him into his arms.

“All right. Let’s get you to bed,” he huffed and stepped gingerly over the scattered blocks to walk to the baby's bedroom. He flipped on the lights and walked over to the crib, laying him gently down onto his back and putting a stuffed animal beside him. Shikadai screamed in protest and launched it at the red-haired man's face. “What? What did I do wrong?” Gaara shouted and picked the boy back up, holding up the crying baby.

“Didn’t Temari say something about a lullaby?” Kankuro called from the doorstep. Gaara glanced back as his older brother walked into the room and took the young boy out of his hands and propped him up on his chest. Frowning awkwardly, he began to bounce slowly back and forth while humming a soft tune under his breath. Shikadai cried for another minute or so, then began to settle down as Kankuro paced the room and hummed louder. Soon enough, the boy was snoring softly with his head propped on Kankuro’s shoulder.

“Whoa. You’re not half bad at this,” Gaara remarked as his elder brother laid the sleeping child down in the crib, then straightened up and stretched his arms over his head to crack his back.

“Jeez, who knew babies were so heavy?” he groaned, then yawned loudly and cracked an eye open to gaze thoughtfully down at their nephew. “… You know, I don’t think having a kid would be half-bad either.” Gaara looked down at Shikadai, with one arm around a stuffed animal and the other held up by his face as his slept soundly.

“Yeah,” he smiled softly.

 

 

Temari cursed under her breath as she propped the bag of groceries against the front door and fumbled for the keys.

“I can’t believe I got carried away talking to Sakura… Those boys must be ready to pull their hair out!” she sighed as she retrieved what she was searching for and unlocked the door. The house was strangely quiet as she entered, and she raised her eyebrows as she walked to the kitchen and set the bag down. She walked into the living room, where the only evidence of her son was the blocks scattered across the floor. She stopped down to collect them in her arms and dump them into the nearby toy chest and then stood, putting her hands on her hips. _Where are they?_

On a hunch, she walked down the hall and found the door to her son's room closed. She gently turned the doorknob and poked her head inside, and then smiled softly.

Her son was snoring softly in his crib. On the floor, her two brothers were sprawled on their backs, dead to the world. _Little fools tried their hardest, didn’t they?_ She thought as she tip-toed into the room and walked over to the crib. She watched her son sleep for a moment, then leaned down into the crib to press a kiss to his forehead. She straightened up and looked down, then smiled and squatted down beside each of her brothers, kissing them on their cheeks.

“Sleep well, my boys,” she murmured before rising to her feet and exiting the room, quietly shutting the door behind her and walking back to the kitchen to prepare dinner.


	7. Valentine's Day

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga

Hinata stood over the bubbling pot of chocolate, frowning deeply as she gazed down at the instructions of the back of the homemade chocolate kit box and stirred the thick liquid slowly. _I hope I’m doing this right,_ she thought as she read over the recipe instructions for the hundredth time. _I’ve been making chocolate for Naruto for a few years now, but… I still get unnerved,_ she thought with a small sigh and set the box down, continuing to stir the mixture to ensure it didn’t burn. It was Valentine's Day, after all, and she wanted the day to go perfectly.

She cried out in alarm as the it suddenly began to bubble faster, and one of them burst and splashed all over her unprotected hand. Her skin burned with a fierce fire as the boiling-hot chocolate seared her skin, sending tendrils of pain writhing up her arm. Tears stinging her eyes, she hardly dialed down the heat before running to the sink to run cold water over her hand, whimpering at the intense pain. When she withdrew her hand, her knuckles and the top of her hand were burning red.

“Ow,” she whined and gingerly rubbed the skin, wincing when it flared with intense pain. “Oh, the chocolate!” she cried in alarm and rushed back to the stove to grab the wooden spoon and churn the chocolate furiously. It had thickened, even in the short amount of time, but thankfully it had not burned yet. _Phew. It’s almost ready!_ She thought and switched off the heat. She carried the pot over to the counter and began gingerly pouring it into the molds, using the spoon to scoop it into the plastic divets. The heat rising from the molten chocolate made her hand burn all the more terribly, and she held back tears as she finished up scooping out the chocolate and set the dirty pot in the sink. She retrieved the filled molds and set them in the freezer, sighing at the momentary relief of the cool air on her hand.

While she waiting for the chocolates to cool and solidify, she gingerly wrapped her burned hand in small bandages. The feeling of the wrappings on her sensitive skin just made it burn worse, but there was little she could do about it. She tried to find things to do to distract herself from the pain, like reading a book and cleaning up a little, but it always crept back like some kind of insistent puppy begging for attention. By the time she was taking the chocolates out of the freezer and preparing them on a plate for her husband, she was on the borderline of tears.

“Hinata! I’m home!” Naruto's voice floated in through the entryway and into the kitchen. She hastily hid her burned hand in her jacket sleeve, and for once she was grateful that she preferred loose sweaters. As soon as she did, her husband's cheerful face popped into view as he walked through the entrance of the kitchen. “Ooh! Smells good. Chocolate?” he grinned widely, blushing as he recalled what day it was. “Hinata, you didn’t have to do this for me,” he smiled shyly as he walked around the table to kiss her on the forehead.

“I wanted to, Naruto…” she flushed in slight embarrassment, casting her gaze down so that he wouldn’t see the moisture in her eyes. _My hand hurts so much…_ she thought as he plopped down into a chair and licked his lips as he eyed the chocolates hungrily. He then blushed and looked up at her like a begging puppy, seemingly asking her permission. “Go ahead!” she laughed. “I made them for you.”

“All right!” he cried happily and grabbed one in each hand, shoving them into his mouth. Hinata couldn’t help but chuckle. Naruto was a grown man now, but he still acted the same as when they were children. It was like part of him never had grown up. Hinata eased herself down into the chair beside him, careful to keep her hand out of sight as they talked about his day at work. It didn’t take him long to scarf down the chocolates, and as he chewed on the last one he leaned back in the chair and exhaled happily.

“Man, that was awesome. You’re too good to me,” he mused, pulling her by the back of her head to kiss her temple. His gratitude made her flush with happiness. “Oh! I almost forgot!” he cried abruptly and began fishing around in his pockets. Snickering proudly, he procured a long jewelry box. “Here, give me your hand, Hinata,” he commanded eagerly, reaching for her injured hand. She stiffened and scooted away, making him raise an eyebrow. _Oh no! Now he's suspicious!_ She thought in panic. Before she could react, Naruto snatched her by the wrist and jerked up her jacket sleeve. “Hey… What’s wrong with your hand?” he asked quietly, the grip on her relaxing when he saw the bandages around her fingers. His rough movement had caused the pain to flare brightly, and she couldn’t stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks.

“I… I burned myself,” she admitted quietly. _He must think I’m so clumsy…_ she thought as he stared sadly down at the bandages. She gasped as he abruptly lifted her hand to his mouth to softly kiss the injured areas of her hands. “Naruto!”

“Hinata… Even with your burned hand, you made these chocolates for me?” he asked quietly, lifting his face slightly so that his blue eyes gazed into her own. She nodded, struck silent by his passionate stare. “As much as I love the chocolate, Hinata, I wish you wouldn’t hurt yourself like this…” he murmured, kissing her hand again. Strangely, she found the burning pain beginning to subside. “It makes me sad…” he whispered against her skin.

“I’m sorry, Naruto… I was just so worried that they wouldn’t come out right that I got careless,” she sighed deeply. He ran his thumb slowly across the top of her hand in rhythmic circles and she was surprised to find that it soothed the pain further. _It doesn’t burn anymore…_

“You don’t have to worry about things like that. As long as you made it, Hinata, I don’t care how it comes out. I’ll eat it,” he told her with a big smile. “Because I know that it’s made with your love, and nothing in this world could be better than that.” _Naruto!_ She thought, her heart nearly full to bursting with love. She nodded vigorously, unable to answer from the overflow of emotion. He seemed to understand, though, and kissed her hand one more time before opening the jewelry box and placing a glittery bracelet around her wrist. “Happy Valentine's Day, Hinata,” he smiled gently as he fastened the bracelet.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Naruto,” she answered quietly. She admired the pretty accessory, knowing she would treasure it until the end of her days. She glanced up as she felt Naruto move, and then his lips were against her own. Her heart swelling, she closed her eyes and abandoned herself to the feeling of his kiss.

_I love you, more than anything in the world. I would gladly take a burned hand, over and over again, if it means I can spend all my Valentine's Days with you._


	8. The Anniversary

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Kiba Inuzuka and Female OC

Akari frowned deeply as she stared intently at the two dresses in her hands, her eyes trailing slowly from one to the other and back as she struggled to decide what to wear. One was an elegant black dress of societally acceptable length with a curved neckline, while the other was a blazing red dress with a plunging neckline and a questionably short skirt length. _But which one is appropriate for a first-year dating anniversary?_ She thought with a groan and laid the two dresses down on her bed, crossing her arms as she scrutinized them, as if staring at them long enough would provide a sudden epiphany.

She and her boyfriend Kiba had been dating one full year as of that day, and together they had planned a wonderful night full of surprises for the other. Akari's gift to him was a romantic dinner for two at his favorite restaurant- and that was the problem. What happened after was entirely Kiba’s jurisdiction, and so she had to plan accordingly; yet, with no inkling of what he had planned, she had no idea what was appropriate to wear. Would he be taking her to some fancy venue that required her to be dressed tastefully, or was the evening all their own, and required a little something to turn up the heat? She chewed on her lip thoughtfully before reluctantly reaching for the black dress, the safer option of the two. At least with that, if they were out in public among the haughty and well-to-do, she wouldn’t feel self-conscious.

The clock ticked as she prepared herself for the night, and as time raced by, she found herself growing more and more excited. She curled her blonde her into golden, bouncy ringlets and highlighted her features with a modest yet striking selection of make-up. Just as she was fastening the tiny buckles of her heels, the apartment echoed with the familiar sound of Kiba rapping at the door.

“Just a moment!” she called, hoping that he could hear her. She jumped to her feet, her heels clacking furiously as she struggled to snap in her earrings and collect her things. _I was so worried about looking perfect that I forgot to keep an eye on the time!_ She thought with a pout as she snatched her purse off the bed and ran down the hallway, stumbling slightly in her haste. She arrived at the front door and threw it open hurriedly, panting slightly with effort as she regarded the handsome man standing in her doorway.

No one would ever think it, but Kiba cleaned up nicely. He had abandoned his usual selection of baggy hoodies and cargo pants for a nice dress shirt and some slacks, and he had even attempted to straighten out his unruly mop of brown hair. That didn’t work out well- it was still sticking up in several places, but Akari didn’t mind. She loved his hair. It was soft, and she loved to run her fingers through it and twirl and curl the strands. She was so struck at his appearance that she stood there in the threshold gawking.

“What? Do I have something on my face?” he joked, and she stirred. A faint blush of embarrassment rose to her cheeks, and she self-consciously fixed her hair.

“N-no! You look very nice, Kiba,” she stammered as she cast her gaze to her feet, and as she stared at them she cursed herself for not painting her toenails. She looked up with a small gasp as Kiba poked her in the forehead, and the soft, loving smile on his face made her heart flutter like a bird taking flight.

“Thanks. You look beautiful, Akari,” he murmured, and even though she had been involved with him for a year now she felt like she was transported back to the very first date, and she felt tongue-tied and overwhelmed. He seemed as cool as ever, however, and smirked as he offered an arm to her. “So? Shall we?” he winked, and she attempted to quiet her pounding heart as she took his arm and let him lead her to his waiting car.

Giving him the directions ruined some of the fun, but as Akari sat in the passenger seat of Kiba's car, she couldn’t help but smile at how excited he was. His face was lit up with a goofy smile as he chattered about the food waiting for them, and she felt bad for only half-listening. She couldn’t help it, though; all her attention was bent on him, the line of his jaw, the muscles flexing beneath the dress shirt, that soft, silky hair and how badly she wanted to caress it. _What’s wrong with me?_ She thought as she forced herself to look out the window, and she placed a hand over her heart to find it racing uncontrollably. _Only he could do this to me…_ she thought with a small smile.

Soon they were sitting in a booth at a renowned steakhouse on the ritzy side of the city, surrounded by young couples on dates, families celebrating a simple night, and old couples enjoying a rare night out. As they waited for their food, she and Kiba chatted idly about mindless things, like their jobs and their week. Akari blinked as he suddenly reached across the table to gently take her hand.

“What is it?” she asked him as he softly ran his thumb in circles over the top of her hand.

“Nothing. I just realized how lucky I am,” he mused as he leaned his cheek in his other hand, and she flushed at his intense gaze. _I’m lucky too,_ she started to say, but the waiter suddenly appeared with a flourish with their food. Kiba's hand released hers, and as she drew it down to her lap, she frowned at the feeling of his warmth fading away.

They spent the rest of dinner like a normal couple in love, trading glances and compliments and the occasional touch. By the time Akari received the check and paid, she was weary from the strain of her rapidly beating heart. She wasn’t sure why he was affecting her more than usual; it was like everything was in high definition, like her senses were overloading. Everything he did, everything he said, seemed like the most alluring actions. Perhaps she was subconsciously expecting something? She slapped her cheeks lightly as he escorted her back to the car, scolding herself. _Tonight isn’t about that. It’s about being with Kiba,_ she told herself firmly, looking over when he slid into the driver's seat. _He’s so handsome, though,_ she thought with a small whine, and she didn’t even realize she was reaching for his hand until he looked at her strangely.

“I-I’m sorry,” she blurted, and he blinked before chuckling quietly and switching the car into reverse. He backed out of the parking spot while Akari placed her hand firmly in her lap, and her face burned in embarrassment. She heard the shift of the gears as he switched the car into drive, and then she felt his hand grab hers and pull it over the center console.

“Sorry. Kind of takes two hands to back out,” he mused at her through his peripheral vision, maneuvering through traffic perfectly even though he was driving one-handed. Akari stared at their conjoined hands, then smiled happily and laced their fingers together. They sat in silence for a good while, just enjoying the feeling of holding hands, until Akari realized that they were driving out of the city.

“Where are we going?” She inquired as she leaned forward slightly in the seat, staring out at the expansive stretch of forest lining the highway.

“It’s a _surprise,”_ he laughed. “Wouldn’t be any good if I told you, now would it?” Akari pouted, the curiosity driving her insane, but she obediently flopped back into the seat and watched the dark scenery roll by. _What could it be? Are we going star-gazing? A nighttime picnic? No, we just ate, that can’t be it. Oh, how many things to do are there out in the middle of nowhere? Unless… what if we're going to a cabin? Does he…?!_ She looked at him, mildly appalled, but he was just staring at the road with a smirk on his face, very amused at his girlfriend's incessant stressing. His amused expression revealed nothing, however, and Akari was forced to wonder the entire ride.

She was still clueless even as they pulled onto a small side road. It was more of a path, really, a stretch of dirt shaking its way through the forest. She shrunk down slightly in the seat as the dark forest surrounded them, but blinked when a collection of lights bloomed in the distance, sparkling amidst the thick green. She craned her neck to try and discern what the group of lights could possibly be, but it was so hard to tell as they weaved through the forest. Kiba was laughing by the time they rolled to a stop, so close to the lights that they were shining just beyond the edge of the trees, but the plants grew so closely that it was too hard to make out. “All right, from here, we go one foot,” he told her, letting her hand go to throw the car into park and exit the car. Akari slowly unfastened her seat belt, leaning forward as she stared at the lights, until Kiba opened her door for her.

“Kiba, what _is_ this?” She asked impatiently as she took the offered hand.

“You’ll see!” he taunted as he pulled her out of the car, closing the door behind her. “Watch your step,” he warned as he guided her slowly up the rest of the path. Akari was only half paying attention, adamant to know what the lights were and why Kiba had brought her out in the middle of nowhere. Suddenly, the trees parted, and Akari stopped dead in the path as she stared around her in wonder.

“Oh, wow. It’s beautiful,” she murmured as she took a few steps forward. The trees had all been strung with thousands of glittering string lights, glowing soft yellow in the night. They were in a small clearing, and the night sky was open above them, the sparking white stars accepting the assortment of artificial lights. She looked back at Kiba, so delighted that she threw her arms around him in a hug. “Its magnificent! You did all this?” She cried.

“Well, I had a little help,” he admitted bashfully, holding her as she clung to him. “Come on. That’s not all,” he smiled and lightly pushed her away to take her hand and lead her out into the center of the grassy area. She looked down to see that it was more wildflowers than grass; the clearing bloomed with white dandelions and yarrow and purple forget-me-nots. They seemed to glow with the twinkling lights shining down upon them, and Akari felt like she was walking into a place full of magic. When Kiba stopped and turned back to her, he frowned deeply when he noticed her eyes were filled with tears. “What s wrong?” he asked her worriedly, reaching up to catch her tears with the tip of his finger.

“It’s just… I’m so happy,” she whispered as she looked back at him. She wound her arms around his neck, curling her fingers into the messy brown hair she loved so much. “I’m so happy you would do all this for me… You spent so much time and effort. Thank you,” she smiled genuinely. He smirked and grabbed her waist, and she looked down as he kicked a stereo that had been hidden in a deep patch of grass. Suddenly the forest clearing as alive with the sound of a love song, echoing all around them and floating up into the night sky. Akari exhaled slowly as Kiba pulled her towards him, while she looked around in wonder. “This is the song that played on the radio on our first date,” she recalled.

“You remembered,” he smiled at her, sounding genuinely pleased. She looked at him as he slowly began to dance her in a small circle, and when her eyes met his her heart completely stopped. They were so full of love and passion that it made her dizzy and breathless. _He did all of this to show how much he loves me,_ she thought, a smile forming on her lips.

“Of course I remembered,” she told him. “I remember everything about that day. The weather, the songs on the radio, the cars that passed by. Every bit. It was the day I thought that I could be with you the rest of my life,” she admitted shyly. “Is that sad?” She laughed as she looked down in embarrassment.

“No,” he mused and cocked his head to the side. “Sometimes, people just know. I knew,” he mused and brought his face closer to hers, making her unconsciously look up. “Happy one-year anniversary, Akari,” he breathed, and she closed her eyes as his lips pressed softly against hers. For the first time that night, her heart was beating calmly, as she slowly danced with the man she loved most in the world. With the lights glowing above and the music echoing around her, she kissed him passionately as he held her gently in his arms.

 _I thought then that I could spend the rest of my life with you,_ she thought absently. _Now I know that I would, gladly._

As they slowly glided through the flowery field dancing to the love song, laughing and kissing, Akari knew that without a doubt, Kiba felt the same way.


	9. Bad Dream

Category: Family Fluff

Characters: Naruto Uzumaki and Boruto Uzumaki

Boruto jerked awake in a cold sweat, clutching his blankets tightly as he looked around wildly. His blue eyes searched the dark for whatever phantom had haunted his sleep, only to be met with shadows. His little five-year-old heart was pounding furiously as he anxiously snuggled down into the blankets, trembling slightly with fear. He wasn’t sure what had actually frightened him so, but now the room seemed to have come alive; the shadows were dancing with the moonlight streaming in through the window, taunting him and inching closer to his bed. He whimpered and pulled the sheets up to his chin, his eyes sliding to the door. _I… I can make it…!_ He thought as he scooted towards the edge of the bed. He warily watched the shifting shadows as he edged closer, then he abruptly tore off the sheets and bolted to the door, throwing it open and taking off down the hallway. His feet pounded against the wooden floor as he raced towards his parents' bedroom. He slowed to a halt in front of the door, standing on his tip-toes to grasp the doorknob and push the door open.

“Daddy?” he called quietly. As the moonlight spilled into the room, it illuminated the sleeping forms of his parents curled up together under the comforter. Boruto tip-toed over to the bed and put his hands on the edge, peering up at his sleeping father. Boruto reached up and poked him repeatedly in the cheek until he snorted and stirred. Naruto groaned and rubbed his eyes sleepily before his blue eyes cracked open and looked down drowsily at his son.

“Ngggh? Boruto?” he yawned and propped himself up onto his elbows. At the sight of the tears in the corners of his son's eyes and the slightly panicked expression, he smiled softly and reached out to gently stroke the boy's hair. “Did you have a bad dream?” he asked, and Boruto nodded sadly. The memory of the scary, dancing shadows and the phantom of whatever nightmare he had suffered surfaced once more, and the tears began to flow freely down his cheeks. As he began to sniffle, his father smiled wider and sat up fully. Boruto whimpered and raised his arms as Naruto reached down to pick him up and gather him into his arms. “Hey, little buddy, don’t cry,” he soothed.

“It was so scary,” Boruto sobbed and buried his face into his father's shoulder, grabbing onto his sleeping shirt as he cried quietly. Naruto wrapped him in a tight hug and rocked him back and forth gently, rubbing his back soothingly.

“I know. It was just a dream. Daddy won’t let anything hurt you,” Naruto murmured and slipped out of the bed to begin pacing slowly back and forth. Boruto sniffed and wrapped his arms around his father's neck, looking up at him doubtfully. Naruto smiled weakly and raised a hand to wipe his tears away, but it didn’t help much, because he was still terrified and crying.

“B-but… But the shadows, Daddy…” he mumbled, looking around at the dark bedroom. He hugged his father tighter as he imagined _those_ shadows moving too, reaching out with spindly black claws to pluck him from his father's arms and take him away. He began crying again, and Naruto pushed his head into his chest while gently shushing him.

“Hey, hey, it’s all right,” he comforted him. “There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

“B-because you’ll protect me, Daddy?” Boruto asked quietly as he looked up tearfully. Naruto smiled and stroked his son's hair comfortingly.

“Of course,” he chuckled softly and dried his tears once more. “Daddy won’t let anything hurt you. But there’s nothing here that can hurt you, Boruto.”

“There were shadow monsters in my room!” Boruto protested and looked out at the ajar door, imagining the phantasms lurking just beyond the barrier of the moonlight. “They’ll get me…” he whimpered and clutched tightly to his father, laying his head on his shoulder while he stared uncertainly at the door.

“Well, why don’t I go chase them away, okay?” Naruto smiled and held him in one arm while grabbing the door and pulling it open. Boruto whimpered and clutched onto his father tightly, looking around fearfully as they proceeded down the hallway. Naruto eased the door of his bedroom open and peered inside. Boruto whined loudly and covered his eyes with his hands, but could not help but peek through the gaps in his little fingers. It was still dark, and he felt his heart begin to pound furiously. _Daddy is strong… He'll protect me…_ he thought as Naruto carried him over to the bed and laid him down, pulling the sheets over him and tucking him in. “Now, let’s see about those monsters, huh?” he smirked and looked around the room.

“They were everywhere, Daddy,” Boruto sniffled and shrunk down under the covers.

“Well, first, let’s check under the bed,” Naruto huffed and squatted down, turning his head sideways to peer under the bed. “Nope! None here. See?” he said and motioned for Boruto to take a look. The young boy blinked uncertainly, then hesitantly, he crawled over to the edge of the bed and slowly hung down to peek under the bed. He was met with nothing but dust bunnies. _No shadow monsters…_ he realized, sitting up. Naruto jumped to his feet to stroll over to the closet and open the door. “No monsters in here, either,” he confirmed and shut the door.

“Can you check by the window?” Boruto asked quietly, imagining dark fingers sneaking out from behind the curtains. Naruto smiled and snuck over to the window to dramatically wrench the curtains aside. Moonlight streamed into the room, chasing away the rest of the lingering shadows. “No monsters here,” Naruto smiled at him. Boruto glanced around, then sighed deeply as he finally relaxed. _I’m safe…_ “All right, now, go to sleep,” Naruto smiled and walked back over. Boruto snuggled back under the covers as his father gently leaned down to kiss him on the forehead. He then frowned and looked around doubtfully.

“Daddy… What if they’re only hiding? What if they are scared of you, and when you leave, they come out?” he whispered fearfully. Naruto cocked his head to the side thoughtfully, then smiled softly and stroked his hair again. “Will… will you stay with me for a little while? Because maybe if you stay, they’ll get scared and run away!” he thought. Naruto raised an eyebrow, then smiled slightly and nodded.

“Okay, okay,” he laughed and sat down on the edge of the bed, scooching Boruto over as he stretched out beside him. Instantly comforted, Boruto sighed happily and curled up beside his father, who yawned and wrapped an arm around him.

“Goodnight, Daddy,” he murmured as he yawned, sleep finally coming back to him. Wrapped in his father's arm, a smile formed on his face. _Daddy will always keep me safe…_


	10. The First Date

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Rock Lee and Female OC

_Hello, everyone! This oneshot is to promote my larger work, **Talk About Chemistry!** Please check it out!_

“Five, six, seven, eight!” Ren shouted as she clapped her hands together in a rhythm, standing in formation with the rest of her cheerleading squad. In response to her count-off, the team's coach clicked the “play" button on the portable stereo, and peppy music boomed from the speakers. Immediately, the team jolted into action, performing their meticulously practiced routine. Ren, as the captain, felt even more pressure to perform perfectly, and she ran the steps through her mind as her body performed the motions. _Step, clap, dun-dun, da-dum,_ she thought as she danced along to the music and shouted chants. Then came time for the stunts, and the cheerleaders seamlessly arranged themselves into the proper position. Four other girls came up beside her, forming a square and locking their hands together to form a hold for her feet.

 _Moment of truth,_ she thought as she vaulted herself onto the foothold and was promptly lifted high into the air. On each side of her, two pyramids had been made featuring the two males on the team, as her coach had thought that it would make for a more aesthetically pleasing picture. They were pulling out all the stops for their championship competition this year. Ren took a deep breath and clapped her hands, then held up her arms and pulled up one of her legs to form a “P" shape. Below her, the girls not involved in holding up the three flyers were performing impressive tumbling stunts. As the two ended with back flip-twists, it signaled the flyers that it was time to fall. Ren jumped up slightly and turned quickly in the air, once, twice, and then fell in the waiting arms of her team mates. They scurried back into the final formation in perfect timing with the ending of the song, and Ran could not help but exclaim happily.

“Perfect!” she praised her team as she bounced out in front of them and turned to face them. “Great job, everyone! Soon thus routine will be like second nature to us! All right, now that we have the first section down, we can proceed to learning the next bit!” she proclaimed, then narrowed her eyes as the alarm on her phone went off, signaling that practice was over. She sighed heavily and switched off the obnoxious ringtone. “All right, guys, pack it up. You got off easy, but tomorrow is going to be rough, so bring your A-game!” she shouted as her team scattered to begin retrieving their things and start off towards the parking lot adjacent to the practice field. As Ren jogged over to the bleachers and began packing up her bag, she became aware of very loud giggling off to her right. She looked up to see her vice-captains, Ino and Sakura, sitting on the bleachers and looked at her. “What is it?” She asked them curiously.

“Ren, we know someone who has a crush on you,” Ino teased, then looked at Sakura knowingly. They both erupted into another fit of laughter, making Ren frown and drop her bag to walk over to them.

“Well, don’t keep me in suspense!” she cried. “Who is it?” She demanded, but they both shook their heads fervently.

“No, no! We promised we wouldn’t tell!” Sakura insisted.

“Then why tell me someone has a crush on me?” Ren cried as she threw up her arms in exasperation, turning her back to them. Suddenly they squealed in delight, and as Ren looked back at them she could see them wriggling about and gazing excitedly at the entrance gate to the practice field. Ren followed their gaze to see three guys making their way across the concrete walkway, one of them seemingly being encouraged by the other two. Ren, mildly curious and mostly concerned, waiting anxiously as the three newcomers joined the lingering cheerleaders at the bleachers. _Oh, I know these three!_ She realized.

The one on the left was the blonde-haired, blue-eyed oblivious boy Naruto Uzumaki, the local class clown with a heart of gold. He was also one of the local heartthrobs, second only to the school hottie Sasuke Uchiha. Both were on the basketball team and bitter rivals, but also the best of friends you could ever meet. His easy-going personality and chatty demeanor made him a ready conversationalist with anyone who was around, making him notably popular with the ladies; unfortunately, he wasn’t too proficient in the love department, and you pretty much had to slap a confession into his face for him to realize anything, so despite his popularity, he was single.

The one on the right was Shikamaru Nara- dark-haired, foul-mouthed, and unmotivated, but the most brilliant boy you could ever come across. Sheer laziness kept him from graduating early and proceeding to university, but even so, his intellect was unmatched, even by the team's resident genius, Sakura. He was constantly skipping class, though, and was often found sleeping in the most unexpected places, making him one of the school's renowned “bad boys.” Plenty of girls found that attractive, but- and she had heard this first-hand from Ino, one of his childhood friends- he found relationships a “drag" and turned down any girl who bore her heart to him.

The one in the middle was a boy she hadn’t expected- Rock Lee. The school’s champion track star and local MMA legend, but as dorky as they come. Bowl haircut, formal style of speaking, and huge eyebrows- not a recipe for a desirable man. Still, he was upbeat and driven, something she could admire, and rumor had it that despite his unpopularity, he treated every girl like a queen. For a long time, his object of affection had been Sakura, who of course rejected him. He took it hard, rumor had it, but after a day or so he was running through the halls determined to win her heart- sending her surprise bouquets of flowers and the like. Sakura had found it annoying until he beat up a few football players that had harassed her after a game, and after that, the entire team had a healthy respect for the boy.

 _But why are they here?_ She thought. Naruto was Sakura's best friend, so he was often around after practice, but none of them had any interaction with Shikamaru except when he bothered to come with Naruto to the field, and this was the first time she had ever seen Lee here. She blinked in surprise when they stopped in front of her, and Naruto gave Lee a slight shove in the back. He stumbled forward, standing awkwardly in front of her as he blushed lightly.

“Yo, Ren!” Naruto grinned and gave her a casual salute. “My boy Lee here has something he’d like to tell you.”

“Can we get this over with? Why did you have to bring me along, anyway, Naruto?” Shikamaru sighed deeply as he slouched beside the peppy boy with his hands in his pockets.

“For moral support, you jerk. Go on, Lee! Woo her!” Naruto laughed stupidly, and Ren went red as Ino and Sakura exploded into excited screams. _It… can’t be. Lee?_ She thought as she stared up at the boy twiddling his thumbs in front of her. Abruptly, he changed his entire demeanor, smiling confidently as he gave her a thumbs-up.

“Ren! I am here to ask- would you ever considering going on a date with me?” he cried ecstatically. Ren blinked at the sudden question, and her mouth opened and closed a few times. Before she could answer, Sakura and Ino appeared on either side of her.

“Would you excuse us for a moment?” Ino beamed as she stuck out her tongue at the boys before they whisked her away a few rows above the bleachers and sat her down, standing in front of her with their hands on their hips. “All right, Ren, now don’t screw this up!”

“Screw _what_ up?” She blinked.

“Your chance!” Sakura exclaimed. “You’re the cheerleading captain, and you’re damn near the only one of us that’s single!”

“Well, not all of us can pick up hunks like Sasuke,” Ren snorted at her, and Sakura momentarily swooned at the mention of her beloved boyfriend.

“That’s besides the point! Lee is a great guy! He’s caring, and passionate, and soooooo tough,” Sakura sighed dreamily.

“Are you sure _you_ don’t want to date him?” Ren asked doubtfully, raising one of her eyebrows and looking past them to look down at the unassuming boy. He was running around in circles now, fretting about her answer; Naruto gave him a good whack to the head, and he immediately plopped down on the bleachers to go into a mini-depression. _He's just… I don’t know,_ she thought doubtfully.

“Yo! What are you girls doing up there?” Naruto shouted up at them impatiently. “Give my man an answer, will ya? I got a hot date with a ramen cup and I ain’t gonna be late!”

“It is no use. She will not go out with a loser like me,” Lee moped, and Ren felt slightly guilty for judging him prematurely. _Like Sakura said, he could be a great guy. There’s a reason all the guys respect him,_ she thought as she rose to her feet and stepped onto the bleacher.

“Lee!” she called down to him, and he gasped as he looked up at her with wide eyes. _God, those eyebrows!_ She thought as a shiver ran up her spine, but she steeled her resolve and swallowed. _All I need to give him is a chance… Nothing more._ “I’ll go on a date with you,” she conceded. She jumped violently as he leaped to his feet and threw his hands up into the air with a triumphant crow.

“Yes! Oh, this is fantastic! I must tell Guy-sensei! He will never believe that I got a date!” he screamed and promptly jumped over the chain link fence to take off down the football field. She blinked, and he had made it halfway across already. _Damn, he is fast!_

“Hey! Lee! Ugh, forget it!” Naruto laughed and turned back to look at her. “He’s gone. Mind giving me your number so he can text you later?” he called, and she nodded and carefully picked her way down the bleachers to join the boys on the concrete. She gave Naruto her number to relay to Lee. “To be honest, I didn’t think you would say yes,” he admitted with a small smile.

“Me either. Why did you?” Shikamaru asked curiously. Ren frowned as she cocked her head to the side, trying to find an honest answer.

“I don’t know him well,” she told them finally. “But I’m the kind of person who doesn’t like to judge by first impressions. There isn’t any harm in going out once with him. Besides…” she thought as she stared at the place the boy had run off. “He looked so sad at the thought I would refuse. If going out with me once makes him that happy, then I would like to give him a little hope. No one deserves to feel like they’re undesirable.” The two boys stared at her in shock, then grinned at each other.

“What a girly answer,” Naruto chuckled, and she blushed slightly in irritation.

“Ugh! You re too dim-witted to get it!” she cried and slung her bag onto her back, stomping off with a huff. The two boys laughed at her, and as she marched off towards her car, she heard Naruto's voice floating after her.

“You’d better watch out! Lee is more than a catch than you think!” Though Naruto’s tone was joking, the words made her pause as she opened her car door. She looked off at the practice field again, the image of Lee bolting across the grass returning to her mind. She smiled, threw her things into the passenger seat, and then got in to begin the drive home.

Later that night, Lee texted her and they arranged a time and day for their date. A few days later, she awoke on a sunny Saturday morning and immediately jumped out of bed to begin getting ready. Though she had been apprehensive about the entire situation, she still found herself growing excited and had that happy-nervous feeling. Perhaps it was because it had been quite some time since she had been on a date, and it didn’t matter who she was going with- she was going on a _date_ , with a _boy,_ and that was enough to send her heart fluttering. She washed and blow-dried her hair, applied a modest dosage of make-up, and changed into a flattering but not-to-flashy sundress paired with sandals and a bow for her hair. She stood in front of her mirror, turning this way and that to analyze her reflection, and nodded in approval. She finished just in time, as it wasn’t long until she heard excited rapping at her front door. She answered it to find a very breathless Lee standing in the threshold, his cheeks pink and a sheen of sweat on his face.

“A-and you all right?” She cried in alarm, then gasped as he held out a bouquet of roses for her.

“I-I was on my way here, and then I saw this flower shop, and I realized that I just had to buy you flowers, but I couldn’t decide which ones to buy,” he panted as she hesitantly took the bouquet and looked it over. She flushed bright pink, happiness bubbling up inside of her at his thoughtfulness.

“Thank you. They’re beautiful,” she smiled at him, and his face immediately lit up at her gratitude. He straightened up proudly and gave her a thumbs-up.

“I am glad you like them!” he cried.

“Why don’t you come inside for a minute so I can put these in a vase, and then we can leave?” She offered, and he went dark red but slowly nodded. She backed up into the entryway to let him pass, closing the door behind him. He shuffled awkwardly as she walked towards the kitchen, just standing there, and only moved when she beckoned him to join her.

“I-I have not been in a girl's house before,” he mumbled shyly as he mulled about her kitchen table as she filled a vase with water and placed the roses inside. She chuckled slightly at his embarrassment. _He’s adorable,_ she thought as she placed the flowers in the windowsill.

“There. Shall we?” She asked him, and he nodded emphatically and rushed to her door, in a hurry to escape the awkward situation. Ren locked up behind herself, and together they began to walk towards the sidewalk. Thankfully, it was a nice day for walking, and Ren didn’t live far from the city. She clasped her hands behind her back as she walked alongside him, enjoying the feeling of the sunshine warming her skin and the sound of birdsong mingling in the air with typical city noises.

“Ren,” he said suddenly, and she looked up at him. As their eyes met, he shyly dropped his gaze and scratched at the side of his head. “I-I just wanted to thank you. For saying yes. It made me… very happy.”

“I’m glad,” she smiled up at him, and she truly was. She could tell it just by looking at him- the constant smile, the bounce in his step, all signs of someone truly elated. He beamed at her, and she smiled back, and then she realized that she was very happy, too. _Maybe… Lee isn’t that bad,_ she thought as they continued on to the city.

The peace and relative quiet of the residential district gave way to the humming, bustling business of the city. Cars trolled by, their engines humming and filling the air with heat and noise. Ladies walked along, giggling and laden with shopping bags; mothers and fathers came along with strollers, or holding the hands of their older children, glowing bright with the joy of being part of a family. Local thugs loitered about and school punks skateboarded by, businessmen and businesswomen hustled along chattering on their phones with tight grips on their briefcases, school girls enjoyed the weekend with window shopping. It was the perfect scene of a busy Saturday afternoon, and the crowd pushed Ren a little closer to Lee. _There are so many people,_ she thought as she struggled to keep up with him.

“Ren?” he asked her abruptly as a large man passed between them. “May I hold your hand?” he asked quietly, then added in a fluster, “S-so we do not get separated! Please don’t presume-!” Before he could go on trying to explain himself, she reached out and took his hand, smiling happily. He calmed down a little, smiling before resuming the trek through the crowd. Though the action had been seamless and apparently effortless, Ren was screaming inside, the feeling of his hand in hers making her heart race. She unconsciously squeezed his hand slightly as they walked along, slightly dizzy from all the panicky thoughts running through her mind. _I can’t believe I just did that! Does he think me presumptuous? Oh, what if my hand gets sweaty? Ack!_

She continued to fret silently until they made it to their destination, a little ice cream shop tucked away between two big-ticket department stores. As Lee opened up the door for her, a little bell rang to signal their arrival, and a store clerk cheerfully shouted a greeting as she walked inside. Lee followed her to the counter, and her mouth watered at all of the flavors to choose from.

“They all look so delicious!” she cried as she struggled to decide.

“I know exactly what you mean!” Lee sighed. “I always have such a hard time. I am very indecisive,” he mused with a cheeky grin. Ren giggled and stared at the selection for a little while longer. “I have an idea!” Lee suddenly announced. “We should try all of them!”

“All of them?!” she cried, looking up at him in shock. He was perfectly serious, however.

“Yes! This shop offers a sample platter that features every flavor!” he grinned triumphantly.

“Lee! How can we possibly eat it all?” She laughed, but was admittedly leaning towards agreeing. That many flavors of ice cream- who could refuse the temptation? Lee grinned at her and punched the air with his fists.

“Do not worry! I will make sure none of it goes to waste! If we cannot eat it all, then at my next track practice I will run twenty extra laps!” he swore. She raised her eyebrows at him, shaking her head at his excessive proposal, but couldn’t help but agree to the challenge. In a few short minutes they were sitting at a table with a platter of twenty scoops of ice cream. “I may have made a mistake,” he said woefully as they stared down at the intimidating display.

“We committed to it, so let’s get down to business!” she grinned and picked up a spoon.

“Now that is the spirit!” Lee cried excitedly and followed suit, and together they attacked the platter of ice cream. Ren soon figured that she had died and landed in Heaven, as each wonderful flavor melted in her mouth. _Chocolate, vanilla, mint chocolate chip, coffee, raspberry sorbet,_ she listed off each one as she tried the creamy delicacies, savoring each spoonful. Lee, on the other hand, was inhaling the ice cream with gusto, and soon he slammed his head down on the table with a wail. “Owwwww! I have a brain freeze!”

“Don’t eat so fast!” she giggled, and he looked up at her miserably. He then blinked at her.

“Hey, Ren. You have ice cream on your face,” he pointed out, and she gasped and began rifling through her purse for a compact mirror. “Do not worry. I will get it,” he proclaimed, and suddenly she felt his finger swipe across her cheek. She went dark red as Lee licked the ice cream off his thumb as if it was nothing. _Th-that was… Oh,_ she thought as her mind went blank, and her cheek tingled where he had touched it. Lee seemingly had no idea of how smooth the move was, as he was now eagerly attacking the ice cream once more. She sat there, stunned, for a moment, until he prodded her with the end of his spoon. “Are you finished? We still have half of it to go!”

“Ah! N-no, I was just thinking,” she lied and resumed eating, bright pink the entire time.

It took them over an hour to do it, but somehow they managed to finish off the entire plate, earning a round of applause from the store. The clerk hurried over to them with a camera, beaming proudly.

“I can’t believe you two did it! Let us have a picture for the wall!” he grinned at them, and Ren shifted uncomfortably. _A picture… With Lee…_ she thought, but allowed herself to be ferried over to a bare wall regardless.

“Woohoo! I have never felt the power of youth so strong!” Lee cried as he jumped up and down next to her, punching the air again, but she was nervously fidgeting as the clerk prepared to take their picture. Lee settled down as the man snapped playfully at him, and they stood side-by-side while the clerk counted to three. Suddenly, Lee stopped him and looked down at her. “C-can I… Um… Do this?” he asked shyly, and suddenly his arm slipped around her waist. She stiffened, swallowing, and he hastily retreated. “I am sorry. I did not mean to-"

“N-no. It’s okay. You can,” she said quickly, and he looked at her funny before slowly drawing his arm around her waist again. She felt like her heart was going to burst out of her ribcage, but at the same time she felt like she was floating, blissfully happy at the feeling of him pulling her closer to him. _I never imagined he could make me feel this way,_ she thought as she beamed happily, the camera flashing. _I pinned him as some dorky runner, but… Lee is…_ she looked up at him as the clerk thanked them for their time. _Considerate, and cute, and… Even manly,_ she thought as he looked down at her and grinned.

“Shall we go, Ren?” he asked and offered his hand to her. She took it gladly, and he walked her out of the ice cream shop. As they descended into the crowd, Ren grew a little bold and pressed up against him, her heart pounding the entire time. They walked for a while, but soon grew tired because of their full bellies, so they decided to rest on a bench. They sat down beside each other, their hands still linked.

“Hey, Lee?” She asked him, her voice barely audible over the sound of the city.

“Yes?” he blinked down at her. She chewed on her lip for a moment, then, as she scooted closer to him on the bench, she leaned her head on his shoulder. She felt him gasp slightly in surprise.

“I’m really happy I said yes,” she told him and closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of him beside her. He fell silent for a minute, and then she felt him rest his head on top of hers and squeeze her hand slightly.

“I am glad,” he told her quietly. They just sat there for a long while, oblivious to the sounds of the city around them and not caring about who happened to walk by. They were in their own little world, just happy to be together.

“Would you ever consider going on a second date with me?” She asked him after a long while, looking up hopefully. Their eyes met, but he didn’t flinch away this time. He stared at her with an expression of mild shock, and then he grinned widely and gave her that signature thumbs-up.

“Of course!” he beamed, and as he beamed down at her, her heart took flight. She felt like it was the beginning of something special, something she had never known but had always longed for. _I’m so glad,_ she thought as he stood and pulled her to her feet to rejoin the crowd again. _Rock Lee, thank you._

_Thank you for choosing me._

 


	11. A Twist of Fate

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Kiba Inuzuka and Female OC

Akari glanced down at her phone with pursed lips, then glanced up at the door worriedly. _Where is he?_ She thought as she craned her neck to scan the faces of the passersby, but none of them were the face of her long-time boyfriend. She looked back down at her string of text messages with no reply. _Did something happen?_ She thought anxiously as she hit the “call" button and raised the phone to her ear and waited for him to pick up on the other line. She gasped lightly when it was not he that answered, but his answering machine. _Could he be ignoring me?_ She thought as she pulled the phone back, staring at it as a sudden realization struck her.

“Did he… stand me up?” she whispered as tears rose to the corners of her eyes. She slunk down in her seat miserably as she locked her phone and set it on the table, trying to keep herself together as the waiter strolled up to her and set down the bottle of wine she had ordered fifteen minutes ago. _What was his name again? Kiba?_ She thought as she looked up at him. He had messy brown hair and a slightly feral look, and a tiny voice in the back of her head uttered, _Wow. He’s attractive._ He glanced down at the empty seat, then smiled gently at her.

“Will you be expecting the other member of your party soon?” he asked gently, and Akari felt her bottom lip quiver as she reached forward to grab the bottle of wine by the neck.

“No. I don’t think so,” she answered tersely and popped the bottle open, pouring a healthy amount of wine into the glass before setting it back down. She raised the wine glass to her lips, but didn’t realize that her hand had begun to shake from a mixture of anger and despair, and she gasped as she dropped the wine glass and it shattered all over the table. The white tablecloth abruptly turned red- as did the waiter's nice white dress shirt. “Oh! Oh, I’m so sorry!” she cried and jumped to her feet, knocking the wine bottle over and spilling even more wine over the table and him. “Ah! Oh, no, no, I’m so sorry!” she wailed in embarrassment and covered her face with her hands.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Kiba smiled at her, and she had to give him credit for nor growing angry with her. She was already highly emotional, and the mortifying incident pushed her over the edge; so, she began to cry miserably. “Ah! Really! It’s no big deal! It happens a lot more than you think!” he cried and waved his arms frantically. She shook her head as she sniffled sadly, wiping her eyes with the backs of her hands.

“No, it’s not that,” she moped as she plopped down into the chair and motioned to the phone that had somehow survived the wine spill. “My boyfriend stood me up,” she sighed deeply and leaned her cheek in her hand. “I’ve been dating him for a long time now, and I thought things were going so well…” she sniffled as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. “Then I spilled wine all over your nice tablecloth and your nice shirt, a-and… n-now I’m a m-mess!” she sobbed and buried her face into her hands once more. She was acutely aware of the waiter standing awkwardly beside her, soaked in wine and probably judging her.

“…Miss?” he asked her suddenly, and she peered through her fingers to see him smiling gently down at her. She lowered her hands to stare up at him through teary eyes, and he laughed nervously before shuffling his feet and slowly eased himself down into the chair across from her. “I don’t think you’re a mess,” he smiled at her, and she blinked as he reached out to grasp her hand. He hesitated for a moment, but when she did not retreat, Kiba smiled wider and gently grasped her hand. “You’re just upset, that’s all. Of course you’re going to be upset that your boyfriend stood you up,” he consoled her. He then laughed under his breath, looking down at his lap in embarrassment.

“What?” she asked curiously. _He’s still holding my hand…_ she thought with a light blush, then jerked up slightly when he looked back up at her.

“I just… I can’t imagine why someone would stand up such a beautiful girl like you,” he admitted shyly. Her heart rate skyrocketed, and she smiled bashfully, and now it was her turn to look down at her lap. “Look, I know that you're _technically_ still dating this guy and you’re not exactly in the best place right now…” he started, “but, I get off in about fifteen minutes, so, if you would like… I can take you out on a date instead?” he offered hopefully. Akari looked down at her phone, then back up at him.

“Yeah. Yeah, I would like that a lot, Kiba,” she smiled at him. He blushed and laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully.

“I can’t believe that I asked you out and I don’t know your name,” he grinned in mild embarrassment. _He is so cute!_ She thought with a giggle.

“It’s Akari,” she told him.

“Akari? What a beautiful name,” he smiled at her, and that smile sent her heart beating furiously against her ribcage. _My heart hasn’t beat like this… Since, well… even before I was dating him,_ she thought with a smile. He patted her hand and rose from the chair, and looked down at his stained shirt.

“I’m so sorry about your shirt,” she sighed deeply, putting a hand over her mouth in mortification. “And… The tablecloth…” she added with an anxious laugh.

“Nah, don’t worry about it. I have a spare shirt and Lord knows we have plenty of spare tablecloths,” he laughed and rubbed the back of his neck shyly, shuffling his feet some more. “Eh heh, I should probably change shirts and finish my job!” he added as a man walked out onto the restaurant floor and gave him a stern look. He gave her an awkward wave before quickly retreating to the back of the restaurant. She smiled to herself and picked up her phone, her eyebrows raising when a message notification blinked. She stared at it for a minute, then smiled wider and turned off her phone completely. A few minutes later, Kiba came trotting back with a clean shirt and a grin on his face, offering her an arm. “Ready to go?” he asked her chivalrously.

“Yeah!” she nodded eagerly as she tucked her phone into her purse and rose from her chair to take his arm. He smiled down at her, making her heart flutter and heat rise to her face.

 _I can’t believe getting stood up led me to a great guy like this!_ She thought, and in a moment of brazenness, she leaned against him slightly, and her heart went _pit-a-pat_ as he casually slid his arm around her shoulder. She looked up at Kiba, smiling, and suddenly got the strangest feeling that she was going to be much happier with him than she ever could have been with her old boyfriend as they walked out into the night.

“So, you want me to kick this guy's ass?” Kiba asked suddenly, and the street rang with her laughter at the abrupt question.

“No, no, that’s not necessary. Appreciated, but not necessary,” she snickered and leaned her head against his shoulder with a laugh. He pulled her a little closer, making her heart pound even more furiously. _That’s not necessary, because I’m already over him,_ she thought happily. Perhaps that made her a horrible person, but she didn’t care, because she was being escorted down the sidewalk by a handsome guy who had cheered her up after a dismal night. _Thank you for coming into my life, Kiba. I hope you can stay in it,_ she thought as she glanced up at him, and when he glanced down at her with a smile, she thought that maybe he would.


	12. Another Sleepless Night

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno

Prompt was taken from the prompt blog on Tumblr, hellsdemonictrinity! Please give them a visit!

Sasuke's eyes fluttered and cracked open slightly, and when he was met with blinding sunlight, he groaned and quickly shut them again, trying to resist slowly rising into consciousness. He flopped onto his side and drew the comforter over his head to block out the morning sun, an arm reaching out to curl around his girlfriend's waist. When it flopped down against empty bedsheets, _then_ he opened his eyes. As he suspected, he was only greeted with the dilute light underneath the thick comforter rather than the sleeping form of Sakura that he had been expecting. Fully awake now, he staved off the desire to fall back asleep and threw the covers off, sitting up while he rubbed an eye sleepily.

His girlfriend was nowhere in sight.

“Sakura?” he called, and his attempt to summon her broke off into a loud yawn. He ran a hand through his mussed-up hair before sliding to the edge of the bed and hopped off, his bare feet meeting carpet. Scratching his bare chest as he smacked his lips, he looked around the room. Sakura's bath robe hung untouched on the bathroom door, indicating that she had not taken a shower in the morning, as was her custom. Her pink slippers were by the bedroom door, also; she always shuffled around the house in them as she headed off to the kitchen to make her coffee.

Sasuke rifled through one of the drawers in the bureau to procure a tee-shirt and pulled it over his head as he walked out of the bedroom in search for his girlfriend. As he passed the kitchen, he noted that their coffee machine, which automatically brewed a pot at the same time every morning, had a pot full of the brown liquid, long since cold. Frowning deeply, his feet carried him to the other end of the house, where a door on the end was slightly ajar. He quietly pushed it open and peered inside.

Sitting at the work desk, Sakura was scribbling away at a piece of paper, three medical textbooks open in front of her with more highlighter than actual black print. Scattered across the floor were countless pages of notes and diagrams and charts, and a half-eaten sandwich teetered on the corner of the desk. Unaware of his presence, Sakura grabbed her can of energy drink and downed the remaining contents before tossing the empty can into the garbage bin, which was overflowing with more empty cans and crumpled pieces of paper. The desk lamp was burning with light, and Sasuke imagined that if he touched it his fingers would come away scalded. “Another sleepless night?” he tutted as he pushed the door open all the way and stepped into the room.

“Shit! Sasuke!” Sakura cried and jumped violently, startled out of her concentration. Frowning deeply, she grabbed the tabletop alarm clock and pulled it close to squint at the numbers portrayed in neon green. “9:30 a.m.? Sweet Lord…” she muttered before flopping back in the rolling chair with a long, exhausted groan. As she tipped her head back, the dark circles under her eyes and the unkempt state of her normally luscious pink hair was glaringly obvious to him. He walked over to her as she was trying to rub the exhaustion out of her face.

“Sakura. This is excessive,” he scolded her and motioned to the deplorable state of her work space. Sakura was a tidy person, but you couldn’t tell by the mess that was presented. It looked like a tornado had come through the room, with the amount of strewn papers and pencils and trash. She pursed her lips at him, growing defensive.

“It's not excessive. This test determines whether I become a doctor, you know,” she huffed at him and sat up, but nonetheless began gathering the papers into orderly piles and straightening out the contents of her desk. Sasuke slammed a hand down on her textbook as she went to pull it close and begin reading the chapter.

“Sakura,” he pressed, the bite in his voice obvious. “You haven't slept in _three days.”_ Sakura puffed out her cheeks defiantly and looked away, tugging the book out of his grip to pull it to the end of the desk.

“I _have_ slept. I had a nice ten-minute cat nap last night,” she refuted matter-of-factly, as if such a minute period of time justified her crazed studying binge. Still, despite her resistance, Sasuke noticed the slump in her shoulders and the tinge of sadness in her expression. His frown deepening, he grabbed the arms of the rolling chair to forcibly drag her away from the desk and spin her around to face him. “Hey!” she protested loudly, but he grabbed her by the face and made her look into his eyes as she made to glance over her shoulder.

“ _Sakura._ You’re smart. You know that, don't you?” he asked her firmly. She stared up at him with a disinterested expression before rolling her eyes.

“Yes, yes, you tell me that all the time. I _know_ I’m smart, but this test will determine my _future,_ Sasuke! I have to pass, otherwise-“ she started to complain, but he clamped a hand over her mouth, cutting off her chain of excuses.

“There. You recognize that you’re smart. Now think about it. What happens if you walk into that test, sleep-deprived and delirious? How do you think you'll do then? You are trying to get into _medical school,_ for crying out loud. You should know that this isn’t good for you,” he sighed in exasperation. He lowered his hand, expecting her to give him a quick rebuke, but she just looked down at her lip, her expression turning into a dismal pout.

“You have a point,” she mumbled, playing with the frayed end of her blouse. _Wow. That was easier than I thought. She must be too exhausted to even argue with me,_ he thought with a small sniff and smirked slightly. He couldn’t complain. He was getting somewhere.

“Sakura, damn it, don't do this to yourself. Do you know how hard it is for me to watch?” he pleaded further, crouching down so that he was eye level with her. Her green eyes rose to meet his hesitantly. “You'll pass. I _know_ you will. So for God's sake will you just come to bed?” he chuckled softly and raised a hand to sweep a tangled strand of bubblegum pink hair out of her face. Sakura chewed on her lip, sulking, and looked back at the piles of notes and textbooks. Sasuke feared for a moment that he had not gotten through to the girl after all until she turned back to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Okay,” she consented quietly, and Sasuke breathed a small sigh of relief. _This girl is almost too much to handle,_ he thought wryly as he wrapped her legs around his middle and picked her up. Sakura yawned loudly as she rested her head on his shoulder, snuggling into him. “You're warm,” she mumbled sleepily as he turned to carry her out of the office.

“Yeah. Maybe you would notice if you slept in bed instead of at your desk,” Sasuke snorted in amusement as he glanced down at her with a smirk. She didn’t reply, just buried her face deep into his neck with a small, sleepy sigh. _Has she gotten lighter?_ Considering she had barely eaten or slept for almost half a week, it definitely was plausible. _She's going to be the death of me. I have to look after her like a child,_ he sniffed in disdain, but the look her gave her was full of nothing but love. He carried her into the bedroom and held her in one arm as he pulled the comforter and sheets back, and then he gently laid her down on her back on the bed. When he straightened up, he smirked when he realized that she was already asleep, breathing deeply and softly. “You're such a wreck, Sakura,” he chuckled gently as he pulled the blankets up to her chin and brushed a few pieces of hair out of her face. He then smiled warmly and poked her in the forehead, his personal sign of affections. “Sleep tight, Sakura,” he murmured, pulling his hand back. As he turned to leave the bedroom, he glanced down when he felt her hand catch his by the wrist, and he looked at her to find she had cracked one eye open.

“I thought you wanted me to come to bed?” she mumbled, and her speech was so slurred with sleep that he wasn't sure she was even fully conscious. “Stay,” she begged him before her eyes drifted closed and her hand released its grip and flopped against the mattress. Sasuke stared at her for a minute, then sighed with a smile. He wasn’t going to refuse an excuse to climb back into bed, after all. He walked around to the other side of the bed to crawl underneath the covers with her, and in response to his body movement she rolled onto her side and curled up against him. Sasuke smirked as he wound his arms around her and pulled her close, enjoying the feeling over her head resting against his chest.

“You really are a wreck, you know. But I love you all the same,” he whispered into her hair, dropping a kiss on the top of her head before closing his eyes and settling into bed beside her. Soon, he fell into slumber, his deep breathing falling into rhythm with hers.


	13. Colors

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Shikamaru Nara and Temari

This prompt was taken from the prompt blog on Tumblr, hellsdemonictrinity! Please go check them out!

Shikamaru waited impatiently outside the train station, his hands shoved deep into his hoodie pockets as he shuffled from foot to foot, trying to move as much as possible to keep warm. It was a Saturday night deep in the autumn season, and therefore notably cold. He shuddered as a cold wind swept across the sidewalk, chilling the twenty-something to his bones. _Man. What a drag. I really should invest in a car,_ he thought bitterly as he pulled his hood tightly around his face to stave off the relentless wind. He glanced over his shoulder at the entrance of the train station, searching for that familiar blonde hair tied in four sections.

Shikamaru was waiting on his girlfriend, Temari.

The two had been dating casually for quite a few weeks now. He had been introduced to the young woman by a friend of a friend who happened to be her younger brother at a party, and somehow the pair had hit it off. Shikamaru wasn’t really interested in girls- dating was a hassle he had never been crazy about committing to- but he had to admit that he enjoyed spending time with the feisty girl. She was determined and restless, a polar opposite of the laid-back and arguably lazy individual that he was. _I guess there is some merit to the phrase “opposites attract,”_ he thought wryly as he pondered the strange notion. He perked up as a fresh wave of people came streaming out of the train station, and he could not help but smile as he caught sight of the girl he was looking for.

“Hey! Temari!” he called to the girl as she paused at the top of the steps to search for him, and as he waved his arm and shouted at her, she turned to glance down at him. He couldn’t help but be transfixed when she turned her clear blue eyes on him. Temari was a beautiful girl, but he loved her eyes the best; beautiful blue with long lashes that swam with intelligence. As she hopped down the steps toward him, he became aware that he was staring open-mouthed, and hurriedly shut his mouth before the willful girl could make fun of him.

“Hey!” she greeted him breathlessly, her breath fogging up as she stopped in front of him. “Have you been waiting long?” Shikamaru had been waiting a little while, but that was on account of his insistence to be early due to some subconscious excitement, and he wasn’t going to admit _that._ As such, he shook his head with a slight blush. _Hopefully she'll just think it's the cold,_ he thought with an inward groan. “Shall we, then?” Temari asked him, and Shikamaru nodded and they walked together down the rest of the steps and set off down the sidewalk. The sun was in the middle of setting, casting the world in a golden glow as the fiery ball blazed in the colored sky. Shikamaru glanced out of the corner of his eyes, appreciated the way Temari's golden hair shone in the brilliance of the sunset; when her eyes flickered to meet his, he blushed and hastily pulled his gaze away. He mumbled under his breath as he heard her giggling, knowing he had been caught. _What a drag. She makes me look so uncool._ “So? Are you going to keep me in suspense or are you going to tell me what we're doing?” Temari asked him abruptly.

“Come on, don't you like surprises?” he smirked at her, turning to glance down at her with dark eyes sparkling in amusement. Shikamaru had taken Temari ouf a few times, the usual things- movies, simple dinners, things like that. This time, however, he was pulling out the stops. Since she lived in the next town over, she probably had no idea that during that night in particular, the city in which Shikamaru lived was hosting a fair, complete with a fireworks show. Shikamaru had jumped on the opportunity, and he just hoped that the girl didn’t make fun of him for being cheesy.

Come to think of it, Shikamaru was always concerned that Temari was going to make fun of him.

“You’re just going to have to wait until we get there,” he insisted as she pouted up at him, and she turned her face away with a sniff. _Sorry,_ he thought teasingly, and they continued onward.

After the sun sunk below the horizon, leaving only an inky black sky dotted with sparkling stars, the temperature dropped even further. As Temari brushed against him, he looked down at her in slight shock when he realized she was shivering considerably, so much that her teeth chattered every once and a while. Though she was wearing long sleeves, the fabric was considerably thin. _Guess I should do the “gentlemanly” thing,_ he thought with a small sigh as he stopped on the sidewalk and began wriggling out of his hoodie.

“What are you doing?” Temari blinked as she stopped and turned to face him, and then cried out as he unceremoniously tossed the hoodie into her face. She caught it and looked at him with slight confusion.

“Well? Put it on,” he told her with a slight sniff.

“What about you?” she asked, hesitating.

“I’ll be all right,” he told her, but immediately cursed his endeavor to be chivalrous. _Damn, it's cold,_ he thought as he suppressed the urge to shudder. Temari blinked at him before obediently slipping into the hoodie, and Shikamaru couldn’t help but feel glad when her head popped through the top with a smile of her face. The hoodie was much too big for her, as it was very baggy and the sleeves hung over her hands. _She looks cute,_ he thought, but he kept the comment to himself. He felt like if he told her she was cute it wouldn’t be appreciated. He watched her with a strange, fuzzy feeling as she snuggled into his hoodie. “Better?”

“Better,” she confirmed with a small smile. Shikamaru decided he would brave the cold to see that smile on her face. Then, he did something brazen- he reached down and grabbed her hand to begin leading her back down the sidewalk. His heart was pounding, and he cursed his own lunacy, but thankfully Temari did not object. Maybe it was his imagination, but he felt like her fingers curled slightly around his.

As they approached the fairgrounds, carnival music danced on the air, and even from a distance they could see the various amusement park rides and buildings lit up with strings of bright, colorful, flickering lights. The smells of various foods mingled into one delectable fragrance that made Shikamaru's mouth water. “This is where we're going? A fair?” Temari asked, and he was relieved that her tone was not disappointed, but genuinely curious. He nodded in affirmation, and her face lit up in mild excitement. _So far, so good,_ he thought as he steered her into the ticket booth. Once they purchased their tickets, they wandered into the fairgrounds.

A sizable crowd had already gathered, and the air buzzed with the hum of conversation and the occasional screams echoing down from the towering roller coasters scattered throughout the park. As the crowd thickened around them, Temari and Shikamaru were forced to press close together; as her side brushed against his, he felt his heartbeat quicken and it felt like a jolt of electricity rocketed through him.

“Um… What do you want to do first?” he asked awkwardly as she looked up at him, trying to hide his embarrassment. Temari glanced around the fairgrounds, searching for a source of amusement, and then pointed at one of the attractions. Shikamaru raised his eyebrows. She had indicated a popular attraction, a thrill ride that was constructed like a slingshot. “You sure?”

“Yeah. Are you _scared_?” Temari teased him, sticking out her tongue at him playfully. His face flushed slightly at the accusation.

“Of course not!” he huffed and tightened his grip on her hand to pull her in the direction of the thrill ride. The line was quite long, but not terribly so, and within fifteen minutes they were being strapped into the roller coaster, flat on their backs staring up at the black sky above them. _I can't believe she roped me into this,_ he thought with a small groan as he stared up into the sky. He turned slightly to see that Temari's blue eyes had gone wide, but he was not sure if it was from exhilaration or fear.

Abruptly, Shikamaru's body jerked violently as the ride lurched into action, and the wind roared in his ears as they shot forward into the sky. Despite his effort to keep his composure, he let out a scream, but he felt better about it because Temari started screeching as well. As they started falling, Shikamaru began to feel the adrenaline rushing through him, and he began laughing. He looked over at Temari, whose eyes were squeezed shut as she squealed half in delight and half in terror. He gasped as her hand suddenly shot out to clutch his tightly, and he was dumbfounded at the notion that she would seek him out for comfort. The moment was pretty much ruined for him, though, when her head suddenly jerked and he got a mouthful of one of her ponytails. Even as they were walking off the ride, he was still spitting out several of the blonde locks.

“That was so much fun!” she laughed as she swept her bangs out of her face, her face flushed with adrenaline.

“Yeah. Good choice,” Shikamaru chuckled. _She's still holding my hand,_ he thought giddily.

They went about the fair for several hours, partaking in the various rides and stuffing their faces with the selection of foods the carnival had to offer. Soon, there was nothing else left to do except for the cheesiest thing to do on a date to a fair.

“The Ferris wheel?” Temari laughed as he guided her up to the famous- or infamous- ride.

“Got a problem with that?” he smirked down at her, and she laughed again before shaking her head. They climbed into the carriage and the attendant snapped the door shut, and up they went. Shikamaru leaned his face in his cheek as he gazed out of the window, watching as the fairgrounds gradually grew smaller as they climbed higher and higher into the night sky. Temari was sitting across from him on the small bench that served as a seat, and he was acutely aware of her gaze drifting towards him every once in a while. They both gasped as the Ferris wheel jerked to a stop, nearly at the highest point of the slow ride. _Tonight just gets cheerier and cheerier,_ he thought. His eyebrows raised as the sky abruptly exploded with light.

“Fireworks!” Temari exclaimed. Shikamaru had quite lost track of the time, and as he glanced down at his phone, he realized that it was indeed the scheduled time of the fireworks show. He blushed as Temari beamed at him. “You planned this? Sly,” she complimented him with a smirk, and he blushed brightly. _Somebody is looking out for me,_ he thought with a slight smirk. He had accidentally impressed the girl by some dumb luck. Temari returned her gaze to the brilliantly illuminated night sky, but Shikamaru could not take his eyes off her.

Her blue eyes danced with a thousand different colors, blazing rainbows that left him spellbound. Her hair shone, too, the golden strands turned white by the glaring lights of the fairgrounds and occasionally flashing with the colors of the fireworks overhead. His eyes fell to her mouth, partly open as she watched in wonder, and he couldn’t help but noticed how full her lips looked. His body moved on its own as he slowly rose to his feet and crossed the short distance of the Ferris wheel carriage. “Hey, what are you doing?” Temari asked him as she felt the small hanging basket moving, but he didn’t answer; instead, as she looked up at him were her eyebrows slightly knitted, he cupped her face in his hands, leaning down to kiss her. She straightened up slightly in shock, but did not pull away. Rather, she melted under the kiss, reaching up with one of her hands to gently hold his wrist as her eyes drifted closed. As the fireworks exploded outside, casting the young couple in a menagerie of lights, Shikamaru couldn’t hear them over the sound of his heart singing.

He pulled back after a minute, breathless, and even through the glaring light and dancing colors he could see the bright red tint of Temari's cheeks. “That was a bold move,” she said quietly. He couldn’t help smirking. He was _quite_ pleased with himself. As some sort of instant karma, the Ferris wheel abruptly lurched into motion, causing him to lose his balance and land on his behind on the floor of the carriage. Temari laughed at him, and he just sighed heavily. _Man. It seems like I just can't look cool in front of her,_ he thought with a small chuckle. He blushed as Temari abruptly leaned down over him and pressed her lips to his. It was shorter than the first kiss, but it still left him with a warm, fuzzy feeling.

“ _That_ was a bold move,” he teased, and she smiled playfully at him in response. When the carriage finally came to a stop, he pulled himself to his feet and looked at Temari with a smirk. “Shall we?” he asked and offered his arm. She smiled slyly and stood up, sliding her slim arms around his. Trying to seem like he was not perturbed as he walked her back out into the carnival, but the entire time his heart was pounding.

Shortly after the fireworks show ended, the fairgrounds closed for the night, and so Shikamaru escorted Temari back to the train station. Hands in his jeans pockets, he waited with her until her train arrived. When the large metal vehicle shot into the station and screeched to a halt, Temari slid his arms out of his, and he felt a little sad as her warmth faded from his body. As the rest of the patrons piled onto the train, she turned to look at him with a smile.

“I had a nice time tonight,” she remarked to him, swaying slightly back and forth as she smiled shyly at him.

“I’m glad,” he told her, genuinely happy. She walked forward, standing on her tip-toes to softly kiss him again, and he closed his eyes as her lips lingered against his own, running his hands up her arms. As he pulled back, he tightened his grip on her, attempting to make her stay, but she turned her face away with an amused laugh.

“I have to _go,_ Shikamaru,” she chuckled. As she gazed into her blue, blue eyes, he could almost see the colors of the fireworks dancing in their depths. _She has such beautiful eyes,_ he thought wistfully as he obediently released her. She hurried to the train as the warning that the doors were closing announced over the loudspeakers.

“Hey!” he shouted after her. “Next time, I want my hoodie back!” he called smugly as she turned to glance back at him, and her mouth curled into a small smile.

“Too bad! It's mine!” she called as she stuck her tongue out at him, right as the train doors closed and the large vehicle jerked into action. Shikamaru watched in bemusement as she disappeared from sight, and then he turned on his heel to walk out into the cold night. He rubbed his arms with a sigh, looking up at the now quite, bland black sky.

“Jeez… Guess I need a new hoodie,” he chuckled to himself as he shoved his hands deep in his pockets and set off for home, the girl with the beautiful eyes and golden hair dominating his mind…


	14. Home

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki

Minato trudged down the worn dirt road, his sandals dragging in the mud as he sloshed through the rainy roadways. Around him, the rain whirled in thick sheets, drenching the exhausted ninja and chilling him to his very bones. The sky above him was stormy and grey, filled with thunderclouds that burst with occasional strikes of lightning, jagged white lines that snaked through the heavens and illuminated the weary ninja slowly walking through the village of Konoha. It was the early hours of the morning, and he was alone as he made his way home, his only companion his shadow bobbing along in the mute lighting of the crackling electricity above. With a small sigh, he flicked his bangs out of his face, pausing to turn his face up to the roiling heavens above.

 _How long has it been?_ He thought as his blue eyes gazed at the grayness above. _Six months? Seven?_ He wasn’t sure. He had been gone a long time, that was for sure. That was the life of a Jonin- to be sent away at the drop of a hat, away on missions for months on end. Minato had spent many nights in the pouring rain, but as he stood there in the streets he knew so well, he felt like years of weariness and toil were being washed away, carried away by the thick streams of water washing across the earth. _It doesn’t matter. I’m home,_ he thought with a small smile, closing his eyes and enjoying the feeling of the rain streaming down his face in soft, cold rivulets. _I’m **home.**_

With a grunt, he adjusted his rain-sodden pack on his shoulder and continued stomping through the mud, his head down as he continued down the road. He didn’t even have to think about it as he marched on; his feet carried them on their own, straight on, then a left, and a right, and another right, to the house in the heart of the village that he knew so well. He climbed the steps, his dirty shoes tracking mud over the metal stairway as he came to the second story. As he stopped in front of the door, panting slightly from the long, lonely walk through the wind and rain, he reached for the doorknob. As his hand met the cold, cold metal, he hesitated.

 _Seven. It's definitely been seven months,_ he concluded. How much had changed since then? The village hadn’t changed much, it seemed. The same trees, their leaves shaking in the storm winds and flashing their greenness with every burst of lightning. The same streets, made of the orange-brown dirt that swelled with water with every storm. The same shops, the pub on the main road where he drank sake with Jiraiya, the old ramen shop with the friendly old man that treated Minato too well, Yamanaka Flowers, where Inoichi's wife sold beautiful flowers, the bookstore on the corner that Kushina loved to frequent.

_Kushina._

Was she beyond the door? Kushina was a ninja, too, but the life was hard on women. It was hard for them to be separated from their beloved for so long. Part of Minato feared that if had become too much for her, and in his long absence, she had moved on.

 _No. Not my Kushina,_ he thought with a frown and turned the doorknob, pushing the door open quietly. It creaked slightly in protest as he stepped inside, making a puddle on the doormat as the rainwater streamed dripped profusely from his soaking wet clothes, skin, and hair. He blinked in the gloom, attempting to decipher what his eyes were seeing. He shut the door behind him as he glanced around. The house looked the same, at least. Grunting as he stretched his sore muscles, he leaned down to pull his muddy boots off his feet, leaving them beside the door. He froze, fingers twitching. _Those are Kushina's shoes,_ he thought with a tiny smile. He had been afraid for nothing.

Quietly so as not to wake his likely sleeping wife, he padded softly through the house, leaving wet footprints in his wake as he crossed to the back of the house. He found the door to the bedroom slightly ajar, and it made not a sound as he gently pushed it open to peer inside. His heart stopped.

 _Kushina. My Kushina,_ he thought as every breath left his body. She was lying on her back in the bed, her face turned toward him. Even in the dark, he could see the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed softly. Moonlight streamed in through the window, making her that red hair that blazed like fire shine with heavenly light. Without thinking, Minato crossed the room, leaving a trail of water across the wooden floor as he took a strand of that gorgeous hair and held it to his lips, kissing it softly. The scent wafted up into his nose. _She smells like sunshine,_ he thought. Minato was pretty sure that sunshine didn’t have a scent, but that is what he always thought.

He frowned when those soft strands fell limp in his fingers, drenched with water. It was then that he realized how utterly soaked he was, and he dropped Kushina's hair to pull back. He was cold, too, shivering slightly. Or was it simply that he was so overcome with emotion to see her? He wasn’t quite sure. Still, he knew he would catch cold in this state, so he snuck out of the room to slip down the hall into the bathroom. He didn’t bother turning on the lights, as the sparse moonlight was enough. He set his sodden pack down on the sink and sighed deeply, pulling off his vest and shirt and glancing up at himself in the mirror.

Reflected in the glass, Minato was shining silver, too, his blonde hair stark white in the shining light. He could see the various scars across his body so clearly in the soft moonlight. Several of them were new, earned on his latest venture. Some of them weren’t even scars at all, but wounds that were still healing, red gashes against his pale white skin. That was the life he chose, and these were his badges of honor.

With a heavy sigh, Minato grabbed a towel off the towel rack and stuffed his face in it. _It's been so long since I’ve smelled clean linen,_ he thought dryly as he paused to breathe in the scent of fresh laundry detergent. He lifted his face, looking back up in the mirror, and was shocked to see a bloom of red in the silver and white canvas reflection.

“Minato?” Kushina asked quietly. Her green eyes were silver pools as they gazed wide at him, staring at him through the reflection of the smooth glass. His mouth softened into a smile as soon as his eyes landed on her. _Kushina…_ He tore his gazed away from the mirror, turning around to look at her. She was even more beautiful in person. She seemed to glow in the moonlight, her frame outline by pure light; standing there, she looked nothing short of a radiant goddess, come down from heaven to bless the undeserving man. All he could do was stare, muted by the emotion rising inside of him. Kushina closed the distance between them, her small hands reaching up to pull the towel from him and begin dabbing at his water-covered chest and arms. “You reckless man, walking through a storm like that. You’ll catch cold, you know,” she tutted, shaking her head.

“Hmm. Can't help it decided to rain,” he smirked down at her. It felt nice, the fluffy cotton gently running over his cold skin as she softly soaked up the water. She wasn’t looking at him, so absorbed in her work, but Minato's eyes were captivated by her. He had thought about her so much while he was away; she had been his anchor, his lifeline, the only thing to get him through the long, cold nights fraught with danger. So many times he had been close to death, but it was she who spurred him on. Knowing that she was here, waiting for him, was the one thing that kept him going. With her lips slightly pursed, she raised her arms to drop the towel into his golden hair, ruffling it slightly as she dries his signature locks. Finally, her eyes met his, and she stopped moving. Blue eyes gazed into green ones, and so many words unspoken passed between. Minato reached up to pull her hands down, bringing her fingers to his mouth to kiss them. How he had missed those slim, perfect fingers.

“You’re home,” she whispered, and as tears formed in the corners of her eyes, he let one of her hands go to brush them away with his thumb.

“I’m home,” he confirmed softly. Like they were pulled together by magnets, their faces drew close, and their eyes drifted shut as their lips met. She tasted even sweeter than he remembered. His hand rose to her cheek, angling his head as he kissed her slowly, lovingly. _Kushina. My sunshine,_ he thought happily as his hand traveled to the back of her head, and he tangled his fingers into that fiery red hair that blazed brighter than the sun. She rested her hands against his bare chest, her fingers running over the scars there. When he pulled back, she was smiling happily.

“I missed you,” she sighed as she wrapped her arms around him in hug, laying her head against his chest. Minato held her tightly as he propped his chin on the top of her head.

“I missed you too,” he murmured as he smiled into her hair. _Sunshine,_ he thought again as he breathed in deeply.

_I’m home…_


	15. Christmas Morning

Category: Family Fluff/Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sakura Uchiha, Sarada Uchiha, Sasuke Uchiha

Sakura awoke to the shrill screaming of her daughter.

“Mommy! Mommy! It's Christmas!” the little girl shrieked with delight as she threw open the woman's bedroom door and ran over the carpeted flooring to vault her six-year-old body into the queen-sized bed. Squealing loudly, she crawled onto Sakura's stomach and bounced up and down, pushing into her chest as she demanded for her mother to awaken to share in the magic that was Christmas morning. Sakura groaned as she was so unceremoniously ripped from sweet sleep, swatting tiredly at her daughter while she mumbled incomprehensibly. She caught Sarada's short black hair before her hand flopped uselessly down against the comforter. “Mommy! _Wake up!”_ she demanded once more.

“I’m up. I’m up,” Sakura mumbled as she finally rose into consciousness and sat up, sweeping her unruly pink hair behind her ears and smiling sleepily down at her elated daughter. “Shall we video call your Daddy before we start opening presents?” she offered, and Sarada gasped in delight.

“Yes! Yes! I’ll call him! I’ll call him!” she cried as she leaned over the edge of the bed to grab Sakura's smartphone while the young woman yawned and attempted to chase the sleep away. As the dial tone rang, Sarada giggled and snuggled into her mother so that both of their faces were captured in the large phone screen. After a few rings, the video suddenly kicked into life to reveal the face of Sakura's husband, Sasuke, who was a secret agent for the government and was currently deployed halfway across the world guarding some important figure or another. It was similar to being in the military, because he was gone half the year and could never talk much about what he was doing, but Sakura loved him no less. He was doing what made him happy, and so she supported him fully. “Hello, Daddy!” Sarada cried joyfully.

“Hey,” Sasuke smiled warmly as he was greeted with the faces of his daughter and his loving wife. “You’re up bright and early,” he mused with a raised eyebrow. To him, it was early evening.

“Sarada is very ready to open her Christmas presents,” Sakura mused as she wrapped an arm around her small child and nuzzled her affectionately, giving her a few kisses on the cheek. Sarada squealed and wriggled in her grasp, giggling as she begged her mother to stop showering her with affection.

“Daddy! Will you watch me open my presents?” Sarada asked hopefully, her black eyes sparkling behind small red-rimmed glasses. Sasuke pretended to think about it, but the smile hiding in the shadow of his expression indicated to Sakura that he had intended all week to be there when his little girl got to experience Christmas Day. “Please, Daddy?” she begged, batting her eyes at him.

“Hmm, I suppose so. I have time,” he consented, and in her excitement she snatched the phone away and hopped off the bed, promptly taking off out of the room and down the hall with elated laughing.

“Hey! Sarada!” Sakura laughed as her daughter absconded with her phone, throwing the covers off herself and sliding out of bed. She made no hurry to go after her, however, just slid her feet into her slippers and grabbed the bathrobe hanging off the bedroom door and wrapped it around herself. She shuffled down the hall as she followed Sarada's happy chatter, and the woman caught wisps of conversation drifting down the hall from the living room. While she waited for her mother, the little girl was describing the experience of decorating the Christmas tree to her absent father. They had shown him the day they had put it up, but the little girl had seemed to forget about it in all the commotion.

After getting a cup of coffee, Sakura strode into the living room to see her daughter sitting at the base of the tree positively bursting with excitement. “Okay! Are we ready?” the housewife smiled as she settled herself into an armchair, crossing her legs and holding her cup of coffee close, waking up as she breathed in the fumes of the hearty drink.

“Okay! Daddy, watch!” Sarada grinned as she propped up the phone so that he could see both of them and still had a prime view of his daughter opening presents. Sarada naturally dragged over the largest one first and began tearing eagerly into the wrapping paper. “Whoa! A dollhouse!” she cried as the toy contained inside was revealed, and she hopped up and down excitedly as she ran around the massive constriction to fully appreciate the large house. “It has a mommy, and a daddy, and a daughter, just like us! Plus a dog! Mommy, can we get a dog?”

“Maybe for your birthday,” Sakura laughed and waved a hand dismissively. “Keep opening them!” she commanded, and the young girl eagerly complied. Sarada pushed the dollhouse to one corner before tearing into more presents. She unearthed a new dress and promptly stripped down to her little pink undies to slip on the dress and do a fashion walk for her chuckling parents, the tag still flopping about as she pranced around. She soon paired it with a new pair of little flats and a bow. She tore into another box to find a storybook, and flipped it open to start reading it until her parents reminded her of the task at hand. She tossed the book aside to resume plundering her presents.

“Daddy, look! Isn’t this teddy bear cute?” Sarada asked as she held up her new stuffed animal.

“Very cute,” he confirmed with an amused smile. He was leaned back against a bed with one hand behind his back, watching his daughter happily. _I wish he could be here,_ Sakura lamented silently. Even though he looked happy, she could tell that he was pained at being unable to be with his daughter on Christmas. As Sarada begged for her attention, she was dragged back to the present to act extremely excited over the pair of funny socks that Santa had brought her. Sarada had made her way through quite a chunk of the gifts now, and wrapping paper and ribbon and bows were strewn across the living room floor. As she paraded around, the paper crumpled beneath her feet. The doting parents watched her unwrap more clothes and toys before she was finally finished and settled down to play with her things. Sakura set the empty coffee cup down on the coffee table and stood up, walking across the room to bend down and retrieve the phone. She swept her hair behind her ear as she straightened up, smiling now that she had a minute alone with her husband.

“Another great year,” she murmured as she walked into the adjoining kitchen. “… I wish you could be here, honey,” she sighed after a moment. It wasn’t often that she allowed the loneliness to show. Usually it was times like these, when they should be together as a family. She knew Sasuke did what he had to, but even though she accepted it, it hurt no less when he was gone.

“I know,” he sighed deeply, and the hurt showed on his expression despite his normally guarded emotions. As she gazed at him, she cocked her head to the side slightly as she realized he had seemed to have switched from a bed to a couch, and he was lying on his back so she couldn’t really analyze it too much.  It was a strange-looking couch, made of some gray material, but before she could inquire she heard raucous knocking at the door. “Lemme guess. Naruto?” Sasuke smirked as he heard the unmistakable sound of his best friend. Even in knocking, the yellow-haired man was boisterous.

“Sakuraaaaaa~” she heard him calling impatiently at the front door.

“The one and only,” Sakura laughed as she walked out of the kitchen to greet their mutual friend. It had become a sort of odd tradition for Naruto and Sasuke's families to spend Christmas together. Sarada joined her mother in the entryway, holding her new teddy bear and bouncing up and down on her heels as she prepared to greet the man she regarded as an uncle. Sakura smiled as she opened the door, and her daughter immediately jumped at Naruto's legs.

“Uncle Naruto!” Sarada squealed happily, and the tall man laughed and leaned down to give the girl a bear hug.

“Hey, Sarada! Wow! Look at that teddy bear! It's awesome!” he beamed as she displayed it proudly for him to see. He straightened back up once he was done doting on the little girl, who had moved on to show off her teddy to an only mildly interested Boruto. “Hey, Sakura,” he smiled and leaned forward to give her a one-armed hug and a friendly kiss on the cheek.

“Merry Christmas!” Hinata, his pretty wife and another one of their childhood friends, smiled warmly and looked down at their one-year-old baby, Hinawari, before grabbing her hand and waving it in greeting. “Say hello, Himawari,” she chuckled.

“Morning, guys. Say hello to Sasuke!” Sakura beamed and held up the phone to the family, who all waved happily- except for Naruto, who whined loudly and grabbed the phone so only he was in the phone screen.

“Sasukeeeee! Come hooooooome! I miss youuuuuu!” he whined miserably before Sakura wrenched the phone back with a pout.

“Are you his wife all of a sudden?” she huffed and looked back at the screen. Sasuke looked half-amused and half-annoyed.

“Really, you should have expected him to act like that. He’s always been such a girl,” he smirked up at her.

“Can we eat now? I’m hungry!” Boruto whined and tugged on the hem of his mother's dress. As per tradition, Naruto, his wife, and his children always came over to Sakura's house and she cooked breakfast for them. I had started back when it was only the original trio, mostly because Naruto was broke and lonely back in the day, and it had just stuck. “I want waffles!”

“You’ll get your waffles,” Naruto laughed. “First though, we have to give Sakura and Sarada their present,” he added with a sudden mischievous grin, and Sakura's expression turned to confusion while Sarada, the innocent child that she was, was just excited to be getting another gift.

“What? Naruto, we never get each other presents anymore,” she blinked and looked down at the video screen to see if her husband had been in on the plan only to find that the call had ended. Perplexed, she looked at Naruto for explanation, but movement in the driveway caught her eye and she peered over Naruto's shoulder. The phone fell from her hand as it rose to her mouth, and she was barely aware of Naruto fumbling to catch it as she watched the back door of his car open and her husband climb out.

“Jeez. I thought I was never gonna get out of there. Do you know how uncomfortable it is laying in the back of one of those things?” he complained nonchalantly as he rubbed his neck, but the smile of happiness was clear on his face.

“Daddy!” Sarada screamed and roughly shoved Boruto aside as she made a mad dash for her father, her teddy bear swinging from her hands as she dashed down the driveway. Sasuke laughed and crouched down to embrace his daughter, pulling her into his arms and swinging her around.

“Ah, there's my girl. You’ve gotten taller, haven't you?” he grinned as he swept a few black strands of hair from her face.

“Uh-huh! Taller than Boruto!” she confirmed happily.

“Not true!” the aforementioned boy whined from his comfy spot on the concrete. As he held his daughter, Sasuke's dark eyes fell on his wife, who was still standing in shock in the doorway. Once those eyes fell on her, she suddenly stirred into motion, like a robot suddenly brought to life. She tried to stifle a sob as she moved past Naruto and Hinata to approach her husband, but failed miserably and began to cry. She was just _so_ happy. He had been gone for months, and now he was _here,_ so suddenly, and it was just too much.

“S-Sasuke,” she stammered pitifully. _Only this man can make me blubber like a fool,_ she thought dryly as he slid his free arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to kiss her forehead.

“Merry Christmas, honey,” he murmured against her skin, and she could hear the smile in his voice.

“I can't believe you and Naruto conspired like this. You big meanie,” she mumbled as she buried her face into his broad chest, breathing in the scent of him that she had missed, savoring his mere presence.

“Hey, I went to great lengths to pull this off. I’m rather proud of myself. Do you know how much I had to threaten Naruto to keep his big mouth shut?” Sasuke laughed as he held her, and Sakura could not help but release a half-laugh, half-sob of her own.

“Heyyyy!” Naruto whined from the threshold of the door. “I'm not that bad!”

“Yeah you are, Dad,” his son refuted, and the older man hung his head in shame at being so bluntly called out by his six-year-old. Hinata chuckled and rested her head on his shoulder, watching the touching scene with a smile.

“I’m so happy,” Sakura whispered as she wrapped her arms around her beloved husband, holding him tightly. She knew that sooner or later she would have to let him go again, but until that time, she was going to keep him as close as possible.

“Is it time for waffles now?” Sarada asked suddenly, making them all break into a fit of laughter. Sasuke set her down and she ran back into the house with the Uzumakis in tow, while her parents lingered out in the driveway for a brief moment of privacy. Sakura gazed up at her husband as he swept her hair from her face.

“So? Good gift?” he smirked down at her jokingly.

“Every moment I have with you is a gift,” she responded lovingly, then stood up on her tip-toes to lightly kiss him.

_And I treasure every one._


	16. A Dog's Day

Category: Friendship Fluff

Characters: Akamaru and Kiba Inuzuka

Akamaru flicked his fluffy, white tail lazily as he slowly dragged himself into consciousness, his lupine jaw splitting into a massive yawn as he opened his eyes sleepily. The sunlight was streaming over him, making him feel nice and warm, and his eyelids began to droop once more as the weariness settled back in; however, he knew that his master would likely be awake at this hour, so he forced his massive hound bulk out of his cozy dog bed with another loud yawn. He stepped onto the wooden floor of his human’s bedroom, sliding his front body downward to stretch his stiff back muscles, before straightening up to give his entire fluffy mass a vigorous shake. The tag on his collar jingled like a frantic bell as he did so, ringing in his sensitive ears; those wolfish ears perked straight up as he stood, listening for any sound of his beloved master as he padded over to the bed and hopped onto the padded surface from the ground. He was surprised to find that his human was not in bed like he normally was. His master loved to sleep, and normally it was Akamaru’s job to awaken him from his hibernation with many a lick and nuzzle. He sniffed the pillow curiously, wagging his tail as he found it saturated with his master’s scent.

            Surely, his master must be preparing food if he is awake, he reasoned, so he jumped off the bed and sauntered through the open door out into the hallway, tail swishing the whole time. Akamaru was of appreciable size, standing nearly half as tall as his human, who was an average male as humans go; Akamaru had seen many humans, since his master loved to walk him, and he was always impressed with how his master seemed to dwarf all the other masculine humans in strength and vitality. Akamaru was honestly honored to be his master’s dog, because what greater honor was there than belonging to an obvious alpha? He wagged his tail with happiness just thinking about it, not noticing that it smacked into the walls repeatedly as he did so. He walked purposefully towards the front of the house, where the room where his master prepared food was situated, and sauntered in expecting to find his beloved master standing at the strange contraption that radiated impressive heat- a _stove,_ his master called it- and cooking food. However, Akamaru was disappointed to find that this was _not_ the case, and his owner was not there to greet him with a smile. Ears and tail drooping, he slunk over to his food and water bowl to find them already filled.

            That was certainly strange, as his owner usually waited until Akamaru was awake to do so; he would scratch Akamaru behind the ears and tell him what a good boy he was as he poured the brown, crunchy pellets into the bowl. It was almost a ritual, and the dog looked forward to it every morning. As he dipped his head and began to munch on the pellets, it almost seemed like they tasted bland and unappetizing; still, his master had left them for him, so he ate an appreciable amount and lapped up some of the water before lifting his head, licking his chops as he looked around the empty kitchen. Something was definitely off with his master’s morning routine, and it was up to the dog to investigate.

            The bathroom, of course! His master always cleaned himself in the morning, so naturally, he must be there! Akamaru took off in a run, slipping a little across the slick tile floor, before bounding across the house to the small room where the bathroom was. Akamaru had always found the room strange, with all its mysterious human contraptions to control the water, and after several years he still had not figured them out- except for the bowl-like one, where he pressed the trigger switch to make the water swirl around. He enjoyed that one. He found the door cracked, as his master usually left it so Akamaru could get in and make sure his human did not stumble and fall, and he nosed his way inside with a furiously wagging tail expecting to find his master within. However, like with the kitchen, his human was nowhere to be found; the room was dark, and it was not filled with steam and the sound of rushing water as normal. Whining with concern, Akamaru jumped at the side wall to sniff at the towel hanging from a rack; it was damp, and coated with his master’s scent, indicating that he had indeed been there. Perplexed with the peculiar change in routine, Akamaru wandered out of the room, wracking his mind as he tried to determine the cause.

            Why would his master deviate from normal protocol? The dog couldn’t figure it out. He decided to check the entirety of the house for his owner. Akamaru wandered back into the bedroom, where he wriggled his way under the bed only to find bundles of dust that made him sneeze. He pawed open the door to the closet only to be greeted with his master’s wardrobe. He wandered over to the room where his master cleaned his clothes, and again, found no one; he even walked to the back door and poked his head out of the doggy door, but the grassy yard was only occupied by squirrels and birds. He barked at them to scatter them before dejectedly pulling his head back through the door. His master was clearly not in the house, and so the only logical conclusion was that he had left. That was alarming to Akamaru, because his master never, _ever_ left without walking him first. Tail dragging across the floor as he sadly walked to the front door, he sniffed around and sure enough, his master had come through. As the puzzle slowly clicked together in his mind, he could only come to one conclusion: his master had left him. Miserable, he grabbed one of his master’s shoes gently in his mouth and carried it over to the couch, where he curled up with the shoes tucked in his paws and stared at the door pathetically.

            Why would his master leave him? Had he been abandoned? Surely not. His master loved him, after all, and depended on Akamaru to protect him and the household from dangers like robbers and mailmen. Why, though, would he leave unannounced? Could Akamaru have slept through his master being abducted? He hadn’t smelled anyone else in the house, though. Could humans be clever enough to cover their scents? Was it possible that Akamaru was going to be replaced? Had he been a bad dog? Perhaps he was not doing a proper job of keeping away the squirrels, birds, and neighborhood cats. Oh no, what if his master wanted a cat instead of a dog? As the imaginary situations grew direr by the second, the large dog whimpered and curled up tightly around the shoe, the only lingering connection to his missing master. He could only hope that his owner returned soon.

            At some point, Akamaru fell asleep, likely from the exhaustion of stressing. He jolted awake, however, as soon as he heard the key click in the lock of the front door, and with a single bound he leaped off the couch to land at the threshold. Surely that must be his master returning home! He wagged his tail as he whined loudly, trying to convey his worry, as he waited impatiently for the door to open. As soon as it did, Akamaru jumped up onto his hind legs, pawing at his master’s chest and shoulders as he licked his face happily. It _was_ him! He had come home, safe and sound. His master laughed at him, and it was such a happy sound; so, then, his master wasn’t mad at him after all. Akamaru’s tail whipped back and forth with joy as the human petted him roughly but affectionately, scratching behind his ears and on his neck and back, and Akamaru dropped down to roll onto his belly, begging to be petted there, too. The man willingly obliged, and Akamaru wriggled around happily as he repeated what a good boy he was and how glad he was to be home.

            Akamaru didn’t bother trying to figure out why he had left, and what he had done; his master was home, safe and sound, and clearly loved him. That was enough. He jumped up as his master suddenly grabbed the leash hanging on a nearby hook, and he barked elatedly at the promise of a walk. He was nearly bursting with excitement as his master hooked the leash to his collar, and as soon as it was secure her jumped through the door to take off running down the sidewalk, dragging the man with him.

            It was a wonderful day for a walk, after all!

 


	17. Marry Me

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Shikamaru Nara and Female OC

Requested By: littleclip (FanFiction)

This is a promotion piece for my full-length story, _First Comes Hurt, Then Comes Love!_ If you enjoy this story, please check it out!

Shikamaru didn't glance up as Ayumi slid her arms around his neck from behind, propping her chin on his shoulder and her lovely chestnut hair tickling his skin as she peered down at the packet of papers in front of him. She said nothing, only watched him with interest as he placed the finishing touches on a rather irritating mission report, and then turned her face to look at him as he dropped the pen down on the desk and sighed deeply. He leaned back in his chair, tipping his head back as he attempted to chase away the headache pounding in the front of his skull. Ayumi continued to hold him in the slight hug, one of her hands curling into the hair on the back of his neck and teasing it likely. He wasn't sure why she liked to do that, but he wasn’t really complaining, because it sure felt nice. After a moment of attempting to gather his thoughts from his deep-fried brain, he cracked an eye open to look at her through his peripheral vision.

She had dolled up quite a bit. Her beautiful chestnut hair was not wavy and falling down her back as usual, but had been pinned up in an elaborate up-do, held in place by a pair of pins decorated with plastic flowers- daffodils, of course. She had put on make-up, too, a modest amount; she knew how much Shikamaru preferred natural beauty, so she had opted for just foundation and blush, eye shadow and mascara, and some lip gloss. She was wearing a yellow dress- not her usual sundress, but a genuine party dress, complete with a pair of small heels. Though they had been dating for quite a few years now, Ayumi's beauty never ceased to astound him; for a moment, he just gazed at her, completely absorbing everything about her.

“Honey, if you don't get dressed soon, we'll miss our reservation,” she reminded him politely.

“Right, right,” he groaned and ran a hand over his face. “It's date night.” Not that he had entirely forgotten, but he had gotten so caught up in his mission report that he had completely lost track of time. She giggled slightly and leaned in to gently kiss him on the cheek, then straightened up and walked out of his office. Shikamaru couldn't help but watch her as she left, concentrating on her swinging hips. _She's so damn sexy,_ he thought before stiffly rising from his chair to trudge across the hall into the bedroom.

Pulling off his shirt as he walked, he navigated through the stacks of tomes and atlases that have overtaken the room. He knew the path through the books by muscle memory now, and didn't even need to see as he waved through them on his way to his closet. As he pulled off the shirt, he tossed it across the room into the laundry bin; before he could get to work on his pants, he saw his reflection in the mirror, and naturally stopped. His hand rose to the large, pink scar in his lower abdomen, and as he did, he flinched as the ghost of his wound burned terribly. It had been two years since the attack on the Leaf Village, but he still could not help but stop and stare. Ayumi's reflection appeared in the mirror beside him, and her small hand slid over his own, hovering over the scar. Ayumi had her own to bear, small scratches along her arms and other hidden behind her clothing. Both of them still suffered in the wake of that terrible saga.

 _That's over now,_ he reminded himself firmly before pulling himself away from the mirror, striding over to the closet to begin rooting through his clothes. Shikamaru didn't have many; most of the closet was currently occupied by Ayumi's myriad of dresses and the rare pair of pants and matching shirts, but he didn't mind. She kept it neat and organized, so he never had any trouble finding anything. He frowned as he searched for something halfway-decent; they were going somewhere relatively nice, so he didn’t want to show up in his mission gear, especially because Ayumi had spent so much time prettying herself up. The problem was that Shikamaru wasn't exactly _fashion savvy._ After a minute of rifling through his small assortment of garments, he decided on a nice shirt and a pair of slacks, and quickly pulled them on and walked over to her, turning about so she could see. “Well? How do I look?”

“Handsome,” she purred, and when he turned back to face her she walked up to him and stood on her tip-toes, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt to pull him down into a kiss. Sometimes she was still shy, but for the most part she had grown much more comfortable in showing her affection for him. Smirking at her brazenness, he kissed her softly, running his hands slowly down her arms. Their intimate moment was rudely interrupted as a knock on the door echoed through the house, followed by the excited pitter-patter of little feet on the wooden floor.

“Auntie Ino is here!” Shikadai squealed as he darted down the hall, and Shikamaru was slightly sad as his girlfriend pulled away and walked out of the room to greet the woman. It was perfect timing, though, because it gave Shikamaru time to dart over to the bed and pull up the mattress to grab the ring box he had hidden there and slide it into his pants pocket. He heard the women's voices drifting down the hall from the living room, and the giddy laughter of his son and Inojin as they devised what they were going to do for the night, and he paused a moment to once again look at himself in the mirror.

“You got this, Shikamaru,” he mumbled as he uncomfortably pulled at the collar of his shirt. Had it gotten hot in the house? No, he was just nervous as hell. He had already done this once before, with Temari, but somehow he felt like a complete novice in over his head. _You've been planning this for weeks. Don't psych yourself out, or you'll make it a drag,_ he told himself silently, making sure that the pocket sufficiently hid the outline of the box before strolling out to join the women and children, trying to seem nonchalant. “Ready to go?” he asked Ayumi as he stopped beside her, sliding his arm around her waist. She was so beautiful that he couldn't help but touch her constantly; plus, he was trying to chase away his anxiety by focusing on her. It was working, a little.

“Yes! I was just talking to Ino about the daffodils I planted here. They should be blooming any day now!” she beamed up at him. When she had moved in with him, they had transferred her entire garden to his house; her prized daffodils grew along the fence, and next to it was Shikadai's weed patch. Every year she added a little more, and so now his once bland front yard was a colorful menagerie of flowers and shrubs, her haven of growth and joy.

“Have fun, you two,” Ino smiled knowingly, sitting on the couch as the two children were sitting on the rug playing a board game. Shikadai hopped up and ran over to hug his father, wrapping his arms around his legs as he always did. He had grown taller in the last two years, tall enough to bury his face in his father's middle. He smiled down at his son and affectionately stroked his hair.

“Bye, Dad!” he chirped before pulling back to hug Ayumi happily. “Bye, Mom!” With that, he whipped around to plop down beside his friend once more. He could see out of the corners of his eyes that Ayumi's expression swelled with pure joy as she gazed down at the little boy. He had been calling her that for a while now, but she still got emotional about it. Sometimes, after they tucked him in at night, she would break down in happy tears because she was so honored. Shikamaru couldn't blame her; in fact, he was grateful that she took something so trivial so seriously. It showed how much she really loved his son. _Their_ son, really.

After exchanging a few more necessary pleasantries, the couple left the house and strolled down the diet roads of the village. Though it had been two years, the reconstruction effort was still well under way; though it was after hours and no workers were present, for every couple of normal buildings there were those surrounded by scaffolding, in the middle of construction. As they grew closer to the heart of the village, the amount of buildings dwindled compared to the projects in progress, and pretty much every building had signs of repairs- one patch of paint brighter than the rest, a wooden wall that was a different type of construction material, and things of that nature. Every so often they came across a condemned building, smoldered shells that the residents or owners had decided were too damaged to bother with. He could feel his old wound twitching as his gaze swept across the legacy of the monumental war, and see the face of his enemy dancing in the shadows, sneering and smug even though it was dripping with blood.

 _I killed him, but he still won, in a way. We've never been the same since,_ he thought as he looked down at Ayumi, who was walking cheerfully alongside him. He could see from the way her jaw was set and her stiff posture that she was thinking of similar things despite her seemingly happy attitude. They all had nightmares, Ayumi especially. It was at least a few times a month that she awoke screaming and sobbing and screaming his or Shikadai's names, and it always took a while for him to bring her back to reality. At least once a week Shikadai would knock on their door in the middle of the night begging to climb into bed with them. Shikamaru never said anything when he awoke stiff and pale in the night, having dreamed of her death or Temari's, but she always seemed to sense it, and would pull herself out of sleep to whisper soothingly in his ear as she caressed the back of his neck, curling her fingers into her hair like she loved to do. As the gloom began to settle over him, he shoved it away.

 _None of that matters now. We made it through, and we're happy,_ he reminded himself as he looked back down at her. He had to live in the moment now. Smiling softly as he was reminded of how lucky he was, he slipped a hand in hers and laced their fingers together, and she glanced up at him with an equally loving expression. He could feel the ring box in his pocket, its squared shape bumping against his leg with every step. _I want to marry her. I want to spend the rest of my life with her,_ he thought for the thousandth time. That thought was enough for him to forget about everything else.

Shikamaru brought her to the fanciest restaurant in the village, where he had made reservations for the special night. Ayumi was of course unaware of his true plans, and he had played it off as a celebration for her attaining Jonin status. Though she wouldn't be assigned a team since she was still employed as a teacher, she had pursued her ninja training since the incident, intent on growing stronger and stronger so she could better protect her students. She had worked hard, very hard, and she deserved to be treated for that. Besides, it was a great cover story for him.

Shikamaru was pretty relaxed at the beginning, but as the night deepened, the anxiety began to creep into his mind. He tapped his foot incessantly, his hands clenched together in front of his face as he stared hard at some point over Ayumi’s shoulder. _What a drag. Why am I all nervous? It's not like I’ve never proposed to a girl before, and I don’t think she'll say no._ Perhaps it was because he was afraid that he would make a fool of himself. He glanced down at his food, which he had only managed to pick at because his stomach had twisted itself into a nervous knot. The ring box felt heavy now, uncomfortable. _Maybe I should have had a plan. Girls like fancy proposals, right? Maybe I should do it another time, do something flashier,_ he thought with a slight groan, putting his head in his hands.

“Shikamaru? What's the matter?” _Shit._

“Nothing. I just have a headache,” he answered, straightening up with a small, weary smile. It wasn't even a lie. It had crept back into his skull, pounding away like a little man with a hammer, because he was thinking so hard. She blinked at him in concern.

“Do you want to go home? You’ve worked hard today. I don’t mind turning in early,” she offered, but he shook his head.

“Nah. I can manage. You’ve earned tonight. I can stick it out,” he smiled and reached across the table to take her hand, gently rubbing circles into the top of her palm with his thumb. _Don't be such a drag, Shikamaru. Have a spine._

Having a spine was harder than he thought. He couldn’t bring himself to do it, and as they walked out of the restaurant, he was cursing himself for being a complete idiot while Ayumi was cheerfully oblivious.

“That was delicious! Thanks, honey. I enjoyed it!” she smiled at him and turned around to hug him lovingly. He smiled weakly and hugged her back with one arm, the other deep in his pocket and clenched around the ring box. Her chestnut hair tickled his nose, and he inhaled deeply, breathing in that scent of daffodils that she always carried. He loved that smell, and for a moment, he calmed a little bit. He loved falling asleep with her beside him, that scent filling his nose with every breath, and when he walked outside and the breeze carried it over from her little garden… It was the scent of _her_ , and it was like a drug to him. Intoxicated on it, he began sliding the ring box out of his pocket, but when she abruptly pulled away it was like he was splashed with cold water and sobered up. With a pang of panic, he shoved his hand back into his pocket and acted nonchalant, while on the inside he was throttling his subconscious for being such a hopeless coward. “It's a nice night. Why don't we go see Temari?” she suggested suddenly, shocking him out of his mental murder. She was staring up at the night sky, where the stars glittered brightly above alongside the full moon.

“Yeah. I think she’d wanna hear about you making Jonin,” he agreed after a moment of contemplation, and together they set off down the road to the cemetery. It was empty when they arrived, and in silence they walked through the rows of graves until they arrived at the headstone that bore his deceased wife's name. Ayumi, despite being in heels and a nice dress, knelt down on her knees and began chatting animatedly to the cold stone, while Shikamaru looked up at the sky as a cool breeze blew over them.

 _Why is this so hard?_ He asked her. _You hate cowards. How did you ever end up with me?_ He thought with a wry smile. He could almost see her, looking cross and calling him a dumbass.

 _Ask her, you idiot!_ She would yell. She was yelling it at him right now, probably. With a small smile of sad amusement, he looked back down at her, and was struck.

The moonlight was spilling over her, casting her beautiful chestnut hair in silver. Her skin glowed white, and to him she looked like a beautiful angel, glowing with pure goodness and light. His heart stopped dead in his chest as he gawked at her, suddenly reminded at how beautiful she was and how lucky he was to have her. She looked up at him, smiling, and in that smile he saw all the love and happiness a woman could ever have.

Suddenly, he was no longer afraid.

“Ayumi,” he said suddenly. He had expected his heart to be pounding, but it was a steady, calm drum in his chest as he pulled out the ring box and got down on one knee in front of her. Her brown eyes went wide with shock as they landed on the simple black box, and her mouth fell open in silent questioning. “I’m not great at lengthy speeches, so this is kind of a drag…” he admitted shyly, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “Most guys would go on and on about this and that, but that just isn't my style.” He looked up at her with a small smirk, gazing into her chestnut eyes. “I love you, Ayumi. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and that's all I gotta say.” He pulled open the black box to reveal a glittering diamond ring. “Marry me.”

Her gaze flickered downward to rest on the ring, and he could see the breath catch in her chest as she placed a hand over her heart, her mouth still partly open in shock. Tears rose to the corners of her eyes and then spilled down her cheeks in glittering streams, sparkling in the moonlight, and they were still swimming with moisture when she looked back up at him.

“Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you,” she murmured. He went to smile, but all he could do was gasp as she suddenly jumped at him, knocking him over as her mouth smashed against his in a passionate kiss. As he flopped onto his back, Ayumi's arms wrapped tightly around his neck as she lay on top of him, the ring box popped out of his hand.

“Shit!” he cried, forcibly pulling his face from hers, and they both searched frantically through the grass when they realized the ring had fallen out. He exhaled deeply when Ayumi found it, his head flopping back in the cool grass, and she held it out to him with a dark blush. Smirking, he took her hand and slid it onto her ring finger, holding her hand for a moment before bringing it to his mouth and softly kissing her knuckles. Sitting on top of him, she just flushed with happiness, her eyes full of more love than either could them could put into words. His eyes probably looked the same, too.

“How do you think everyone will react when they learn you proposed to me in a cemetery on the grave of your dead wife?” she snickered suddenly, and it was his turn to blush. Groaning, he rubbed the back of his neck. _I should’ve thought this through._ Giggling at his reaction, she leaned down to kiss him lightly on the forehead. “It's okay. I think it's romantic. You wanted Temari to see, right?”

Perhaps on some level he did.

 _Even though you’re gone, you’re still kicking my ass in gear,_ he thought wryly as he glanced past her at the glittering stars. He could feel her smiling down at him. He looked back to Ayumi, reaching up to gently caress her chestnut hair that he loved so much.

“I’m so happy,” he whispered. He didn't even realize that he had uttered it aloud until Ayumi's eyebrows crept up her forehead. Her slightly surprised expression melted into one of pure warmth.

“I’m happy too, Shikamaru,” she sighed and looked down to admire the sparkling ring on her finger. The symbol of their happiness, their devotion, their _love._

 _I’ll love you forever and ever,_ he vowed to her silently. He could say it aloud, but he decided to wait- to say it at the altar, that is. Instead of talking, he moved his hand to the back of her head, pulling her into a deep, passionate kiss. Bathed in moonlight, the young couple shared in their special moment, their only audience the white moon, the glittering stars, and the soul of the brave young woman that had brought them together…


	18. Her, Like the Sun, and Him, Like the Clouds

Category: Romantic Fluff, Family Fluff, Friendship Fluff

Characters: Shikamaru Nara and Temari

Requested By: into-a-fantasy (Tumblr)

“Are you finished yet?” Temari asked impatiently as she felt the soft make-up brush still dabbing foundation across her face, which she felt had received plenty of treatment already. The brush retracted after a final sweep over the bridge of her nose, and as she opened her eyes, little flecks of the powder falling from her mascara-pumped eyelashes, Ino was pursing her glossed lips at her.

“Temari, you wear make-up every day. Why are you complaining?” the blonde-haired girl tutted while snapping the foundation case shut and began rooting around the various make-up items on the wooden counter beside her to find her next project. Temari just exhaled deeply and leaned back in the chair, trying to keep her frown from deepening too much because Ino would yell at her and say she was going to get frown lines. “Lighten up already! You’re the one who asked for my help!” Temari tutted a response, her blue eyes flickering to the mirror to stare at her rapidly transforming reflection. Despite the woman’s fiery personality and unfiltered mouth, which would grate the average person, Temari rather liked Ino and they had become fast friends throughout her courtship with Shikamaru. You couldn’t tell that now; Temari had been snipping at her since she arrived, but Ino just lightheartedly tolerated it. She probably didn’t blame Temari for being on edge; after all, she was nervous as all hell.

In a few hours, she would be married.

“Just relax, Temari. It’s the happiest day of your life!” Sakura chirped from another vanity, peering into the glass as she meticulously curled her lashes. After she flickered them a few times to ensure maximum volume and coverage, she flashed the former Sand ninja a smile. “Everything is going to go perfectly.” Analytical as ever, Sakura had easily ascertained the root of Temari’s anxiety. She had never been a perfectionist by any means, but something about the occasion brought such behavior out of Temari; she was just simply frantic that something would go wrong and it would be ruined.

Temari had admittedly been looking forward to the day with utmost joy. She had never been the romantic type (that was quite obvious from her awkwardness at the beginning of her and Shikamaru’s relationship), but after being with him for so long, Temari knew with every fiber of her being that she loved him more than life itself and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. Despite his own awkwardness and inability to say what he was feeling, she knew Shikamaru felt the same way about her. The Leaf and Sand villages had been cooperating well to make the ceremony a success. Yet, somehow, Temari just could not shake her pre-wedding jitters.

“I just don’t know what’s wrong with me,” she sighed deeply as Ino brushed a splash of blush across her cheeks. She went to lean her cheek in her hand until Ino firmly smacked it aside, and Temari’s mouth twitched. “I’m not getting second thoughts or anything. I just want it all to go well… I’ll only get married once, after all.”

“Stop worrying about it!” Ino said and forced Temari to shut her eyes so she could apply some eye shadow. Temari wanted to quip that it was easier said than done, but there was no winning against her. Instead, she tried to heed the two girls’ advice and relax herself. _Everything is going to be fine. Everything will go well._ She kept repeating that in her head, and though her worries did not disappear completely, she _did_ feel a little better. By then Ino had long since finished her make-up and had swung her chair around to begin tackling Temari’s tresses of golden hair, pulling it out of her signature fluffy pigtails and combing it meticulously. “Damn, Temari, your hair really is thick, you know?” Ino grunted as she tugged and pulled at the strands with the brush and wound them around a curling iron.

Yes, she knew. No one ever knew it, but Temari had always secretly hated her hair. It was untamable, a pile of fluff on her head that obeyed no brush or hair products. She just always tied it back so she wouldn’t have to think about it and no one would ever know. That is, until Shikamaru. He always told her how much he loved her hair, running his fingers through it while they talked, complimenting how it caught the sun. As she thought about it, her heart swelled and a smile formed on her lips. He would probably compliment her hair today, too. “Done!” Temari glanced up into the mirror and her mouth fell open slightly in shock. Ino had transformed her poofy, golden pigtails into a gorgeous up-do, with the strands curled and pulled back into a messy yet stylish bun and curling wisps falling about her face. Temari turned her face from side-to-side, simply amazed with the look.

“You look beautiful, Temari. You’re gonna knock Shikamaru dead,” Sakura mused as she appeared over her shoulder, leaning over as she similarly marveled the bride’s reflection. Sakura’s hair was much shorter, so she had simply braided her hair like a crown around the back of her head. It was simple, but very elegant, Temari thought.

“Sakura, will you help Temari into her dress while I do my hair and make-up?” Ino asked as she plopped down in the neighboring chair and began her work. Temari accompanied Sakura across the bridal suite where her dress was hanging from a closet doorframe. She and Shikamaru had elected for a white wedding rather than a traditional one; her gown was pure white, of course, but she had wanted a splash of color. The gown featured golden ribbons for the corset that bled into a stream of golden fabric flowing down her back and through the train, eventually spilling out into a golden puddle amongst the milky whiteness. The slim-fitting bodice was threaded with golden patterns. Temari had decided on a sleeveless dress, given they were doing a summer wedding. Just as Sakura was tying the last of the laces together and Ino was piling her bleach-blonde hair atop her head, there was a knock at the door. After her vigilant make-up and hair artists confirmed it was not her groom trying to catch a peek of her, her brothers walked in.

“Well, boys? What do you think of our handiwork?” Ino grinned at them through the mirror, too busy expertly poking bobby pins into her hair to turn around. Temari smiled bashfully as the two younger boys walked over to look her up and down.

“You’re radiant, big sister,” Gaara smiled sweetly up at her, and Kankuro nodded in agreement. The fact that they were there meant that the ceremony would begin soon. Temari had no father to walk her down the aisle, so she and Shikamaru had come up with the idea that her little brothers would have the honor instead. They were both wearing tuxedos with ties that matched to color of the accents on her wedding gown. They had both tried to slick their hair down, but their locks were as untamable as Temari’s, so they still looked a scruffy mess. It made her happy, though. When they were young she was afraid they would never be close, especially her and Gaara, but time had proven her wrong.

“We’ll give you a moment!” Sakura grinned as she carted Ino out into the hallway, the girl protesting all the while that she hadn’t had the time to put on lipstick. The boys watched them leave before looking back at Temari.

“Ya know, I never would’ve dreamed that you would’ve ended up marrying Shikamaru,” Kankuro commented with a smirk. Temari knitted her eyebrows together in confusion.

“Why’s that?” An awkward look and a blush appeared on his face and he nervously rubbed the back of his neck while looking away.

“Well, you’re… you know… And he’s… You know…” he mumbled incoherently. Temari just giggled; she had only been teasing him. She and Shikamaru certainly were an odd match in a lot of ways; they had begun as rivals in the Chunin exams, and she had found him unmotivated and unimpressive, but he had turned around and impressed her in their match. Somehow, she had found herself gravitating toward him, a slacker who would rather watch clouds than do his duty but somehow still commanded her respect with his devotion to his friends and village. He had grown a lot and Temari had enjoyed watching him grow, though he sometimes got on her nerves with how clueless he could be. He was really the embodiment that smart people could still be really stupid in other areas- in his case, the opposite sex. She must have started daydreaming, because when she focused back on her brothers, they were smiling knowingly at her. It was her turn to blush.

“What?”

“Nothing. You’re just the perfect picture of a gushing bride,” Kankuro snorted, then cried out in pain as she smacked up upside his head. “Ow! Stop! You’ll smear my face paint, Temari!” he whined as he ducked another blow. Gaara laughed under his breath.

“I think they’re a good match. Temari has always been the most intelligent of us. It makes perfect sense that she’d fall for someone like him,” he mused. Once more a pink hue painted her cheeks. She wasn’t used to so much compliment and praise, especially from her little brothers. Gaara was usually to busy with his Kazekage duties and Kankuro was frankly just a little asshole. She was glad for it, though. Without warning, she reached forward to hug both of them around their necks, pulling their heads to touch them to her own, surprising them both.

“I love you both so much. Thank you for being here for me.” Temari knew that she had not told them that she loved them enough, and she was going to end that habit right that instant. Whatever their differences and annoying quirks, they were still her blood, and her best friends. They were stiff for a few seconds, and then each of them wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close.

“Yeah. We’re gonna miss you, Temari.” Kankuro was much too stubborn to come out and say it, but she knew that was just his way of returning her affections.

“Come and visit us,” Gaara added.

“Of course. I’m not going to be too far away, after all,” she smiled as she pulled back and looked at them. She then grinned widely and ruffled their already messy hair, causing them both to squeak protests and scramble away from her. While she laughed lightly, Sakura poked her head back into the door with a mix of a serious and overwhelmingly excited expression.

“It’s time!”

After the boys had settled down and she had tried to smooth down the spots in their hair sticking up with no success, they walked out of the room and down the hall to a winding staircase. The building was a popular spot for white weddings, which had risen in popularity in recent years; the upper level was the bridal suite while the bottom was a clear space for the ceremony. The reception would be in another area, with an even larger room and an outside pavilion. As she hovered in the landing of the staircase, she could hear the murmur of hushed voices. They didn’t want a huge wedding, so Ino was her Maid of Honor and Choji the best man, with Sakura as her other bridesmaid and Naruto her escort as Shikamaru’s other groomsman. They had already begun their procession down the stairs and down the aisle, and Temari hovered above the proceeding ceremony between her two brothers with mounting emotion. It wasn’t anxiety, but a fierce bubbling happiness that actually brought tears to her eyes. She closed her eyes and tried to compose herself with a shaky breath, knowing Ino would never forgive her if she cried after all that effort put toward her make-up.

“Hey. Don’t freak out on me now,” Kankuro smirked in her ear and gave her arm a reassuring squeeze.

“Are you nervous?” her other brother asked worriedly. Temari smiled, opened her eyes, and shook her head, alleviated simply by their presence… and the knowledge that the man she loved with all her breath was waiting for her only a small distance away.  

“No. I’m just… very, very happy.”

“Well, happiness looks good on you,” Kankuro smirked. Below, an attendant signaled that they should begin walking down, and the pair of boys each took one of her arms and began walking with her down the steps. The attendant passed her the bouquet as she passed, an arrangement of Ino’s of white and gold to mirror her dress, with splashes of blue to highlight her sky-blue eyes. They turned around the landing and Temari’s slippered feet met the roll of satin-like golden carpet sprinkled with white flower petals, and she lifted her eyes to look at the altar, where Shikamaru was waiting for her.

Seeing that smile on his face made her want to drop everything and run to him. Shikamaru never showed much emotion, but for once he let it all show; all the warmth and happiness and love in his expression rolled over that carpet to strike her like a tidal wave, making her actually stop in her tracks for a second. She managed to regain her composure when Gaara gave her a reassuring push in her back and began walking again. Her dress streamed behind her, pulling the flower petal with it. Temari supposed all the faces gazing at her were a mixture of awe and joy, but she didn’t know. Her vision was trained on Shikamaru, the man she loved so fiercely it felt like it hurt, the man who had won her heart and whose heart she had won herself. She didn’t even hear what her brothers said as they split off from her to sit down, and her hand extended on its own so Shikamaru could take it and pull her up onto the altar. She didn’t even look at the officiator; she just stared, captivated, charmed, hopelessly in love at her husband-to-be. She probably looked like an idiot but she could care less in that moment.

“You should probably be listening,” Shikamaru whispered to her with a chin nod to the man now speaking, and with a jolt and a flush of her cheeks she turned forward and actively began listening to the rites. Then she felt the strand of curled hair hanging beside her ear rustle and the tingle of Shikamaru’s breath against her skin. “You look gorgeous, by the way.”

“Thank you… You clean up well yourself.” Shikamaru looked fine as hell in his tuxedo, not that she would ever admit it aloud to him.

“I figured, with the way you were staring at me.” Temari puffed out her cheeks defiantly to stare up at him; of course, he had been baiting her, and was smirking in amusement. The officiator was still droning on about the blessing of marriage or whatever.

“I could still say ‘no.’”

“And miss out on netting this catch? I don’t think so.”

“You’re not a catch. More like a dirty shoe someone fished out of a dirty lake.” The officiator was either oblivious to their hushed back-and-forth banter, or simply didn’t care. Shikamaru laughed breathily, and while the officiator was looking off to the crowd, picked up that stray strand of golden hair and pulled it to his lips.

“Well, if I’m a dirty shoe, you must be the sun, because you’re glowing, Temari.” Temari opened and shut her mouth several times as she struggled to respond to that annoyingly smooth remark, while her groom laughed and hastily dropped her hair when the officiator returned his attention to them, as if nothing had happened at all. _Ugh! He’s so annoying and so sexy at the same time!_ Such was the conundrum of their relationship; she _hated_ when he got the one-up on her but damn it, she loved how smooth he could be when he managed to not be clueless about a woman’s heart. Shaken, she stumbled over her words as the officiator asked her to recite her lines, making Shikamaru smirk even more.

“I hate you,” she hissed at him as the clergy began to recite more lines. Her heart was pounding in her ribcage now, no longer from the excitement of the day but because he was so infuriatingly confident and suave at the moment.

“If that were true, you wouldn’t be standing here, would you?” They were interrupted by the clergy’s prompting again, and without missing a beat, Shikamaru popped off the required words. Trying to hide her bitterness, Temari faked a lovely smile and a sweet tone to do the same, and after it was done, she immediately looked up at him dourly. “Hey, if you keep scowling like that, your face may freeze that way.”

“Shut up.” She was aggravated that she couldn’t think of anything smarter than that. Finally it was time for them to say their “I do’s,” and of course she wasn’t going to say no, but she sure was bristling at that point. _Damn him and his smart little remarks… I’m not gonna lose!_ She fumed silently as Shikamaru responded to the priest, and barely listened as he turned to her. She stared at the man speaking, painfully aware as Shikamaru leaned over to whisper in her ear again, in just a way that the man didn’t notice.

“Come on, Temari, don’t you have anything better to say than ‘shut up’?”

“I do!” she snapped, ironically at just the right time. She went pink as the officiator looked at her funny and the crowd rustled with confused murmurs behind her. “A-ahem. I do,” she repeated more clearly and more calmly, shooting Shikamaru a side-eyed glare as he stifling his snickers. The clergy began droning on again. “You’re dead meat.”

“No, I’m a dirty shoe.”

“I’m going to _kill_ you.”

“Since when is that new?” The officiator announced that they could kiss, and her face was nearly red by that point. She begrudgingly glared up at him as she turned to face him, him and that stupidly sexy snarky grin of his.

“You’re awfully confident today.”

“Well, I _am_ marrying the woman of my dreams.” Temari’s eyes widened slightly, and instead of anger she felt a flood of amusement and happiness, because she finally had something good to respond to his awfully on-point banter.

“Well, that’s good. I’m marrying the man of my dreams.”

“That mean you won’t kill me?” he chuckled as he wound one arm around her waist, and swept his other hand across her forehead to brush away a lock of her golden hair like the sun.

“Not today, at least.”

“I’ll take it.”

Temari really did feel like she was glowing as he leaned down to softly press his mouth to hers, shining as brilliantly as the sun as the happiness filled her body and the sound of applause filled her ears. If she was Shikamaru’s sun, holding him by her gravity and bringing him light, he was her universe, the thing that made her whole and gave her meaning. When they pulled apart, she was gazing up at him with the same intensity of love and joy she had seen when she had first appeared on the aisle.

“I love you, even if you get on my nerves,” she smiled, her expression morphing into a coy and playful one.

“I love you, even if you can’t go one sentence without insulting me,” Shikamaru laughed and leaned forward again to plant a kiss on her forehead. They were about to start walking to the reception, but Kankuro suddenly sprung from the crowd and belly-flopped onto Temari’s train to clutch onto her leg.

“I take it back! Don’t leave!” Temari gawked down at him, amazed that he would abandon his pride and experience so much emotion, and then looked back when Gaara walked over.

“Um, Gaara, maybe you should-“ She was interrupted as he worldlessly grabbed her arm and buried his face into her shoulder, blushing profusely. She blinked, completely dumbfounded by the turn of events, then began laughing loudly. “Oh, good grief, what _am_ I going to do with you two? I can’t be married for a minute, at least?”

“No. Marriage is over. Divorce him and come back with us _forever_ ,” Kankuro grumbled, his voice muffled by the trusses of fabric in his face. Gaara was still just silently clutching onto her like a newborn, his dignity as Kazekage on the line but still overwhelmed enough to be unable to resist. Shikamaru just stared down at Kankuro, absolutely floored and unsure of quite what expression to make.

“Guys, I’ll come visit.”

“Promise?!” they both shouted and looked at her pleadingly with their fingers digging into her dress.

“ _Yes_!” she laughed, and they both looked at each other before begrudgingly detaching themselves from her. Shikamaru cocked an eyebrow as Kankuro shoved a finger in his face.

“I’m warning you. Make her unhappy and you’re _dead_.” He then whipped around to march down the carpet to the reception area with a very embarrassed Gaara trailing after him, until Naruto sprang on him to drag him off to go try some of the delicacies at the food table. Temari giggled and leaned her head on Shikamaru’s shoulder as she watched her adorable little brothers go.

“… Did I just have a _stroke_?” he asked as he looked down at her in confusion.

“Oh, you know how people get at weddings. Anything can happen.” He smirked and bonked his head against hers for a second before glancing up at the sky. _Eyes still watching the clouds, same as always,_ she thought as she watched his dark eyes trace the puffy white ships across the blue ocean above. Now that she thought about it, he was like the clouds; unassuming, simple, but yet also capable of bringing storms when needed. While he was side-tracked, she stood on her tip-toes to peck him on the cheek. “We’d better get going before people start to get impatient.” His face screwed up in annoyance.

“Man, you mean this thing isn’t over yet?” he whined but obediently began walking her down the carpet.

“I warned you that marrying me would be a drag.”

Their playful arguing aside, Temari knew that Shikamaru was as happy as she was, and she found herself looking up at the clouds to. She was floating in the sky, carried by a wind of joy and unable to come down, with the man she loved right there next to her. Love was a drag, but a drag that was _completely_ worth it when all was said and done. With that thought in her mind and happiness in her heart, she walked with Shikamaru into the arms of their friends and through the uncertain, exciting door of their future together… 


	19. Glowing

Category: Friendship Fluff

Characters: Naruto Uzumaki, Rock Lee, and Gaara

Requested By: Anonymous User

“Heyyyy! Gaaraaaaaaaa~!”

Gaara looked up with slightly narrowed eyes as someone excitedly called for him. Since he and his siblings had successfully rescued the Leaf ninja from some pretty gruesome fates at the hands of Orochimaru’s monstrous henchmen, they had been staying in the Leaf village. The village had yet to completely recover from the snake-like man’s previous attack during the Chunin exams, and upon seeing all the destruction still yet to be amended, the three of them had made the collective decision to remain there and assist in the reconstruction efforts. They had been central in causing all that grief and chaos, after all- especially him, so it was a pretty important matter. Gaara was trying very hard to turn his life around and make himself a better person, and he thought righting the wrong he had committed at the lowest point of his life was a pretty good way to do that. Some of the villagers still looked at him apprehensively and avoided him, of course, and he tried not to let it get to him.

It was easier to do with people like Rock Lee.

The taijutsu master grinned down at him from the third-floor window of Konoha Hospital, his teeth flashing in the sun as he grinned absurdly and waved his hand frantically to get his attention. Gaara turned off the road and walked down the path toward the hospital, intending to check himself in and go visit him, but Lee had other ideas; he literally jumped from the third-floor window to land unceremoniously in the bushes lining the hospital walls. Gaara just stared in mild concern at the wriggling green leaves. He knew Lee was tough enough to survive a jump like that, especially landing in the cushiony embrace of the bushes, but sometimes he just couldn’t follow the excitable boy’s thought processes. Lee was all-smiles as he clambered out of the hedges, twigs sticking out of his bowl cut and clinging to his green jumpsuit. “Hello, Gaara! I am glad I caught you passing by! I have not yet had the chance to see how you were recovering after your fight with Kimimaro!” he announced as he bounced happily over to him.

“Oh. I’m doing well. I didn’t really get that hurt in the battle,” Gaara answered awkwardly and looked himself up and down. Thanks to his sand armor he had escaped relatively unscathed; Lee was the one who had been beaten up, really. On top of that, he had still been recovering from the injuries he had sustained from Gaara during the Chunin exams. He tried not to think about that. “What about you? Are you well?” _How foolish. Of course he’s doing well; he just jumped out of a window,_ he immediately thought with a hot rush of mortification. Gaara had yet to pin down the intricacies of social interaction. Thankfully, Lee didn’t miss a beat.

“I am _wonderful_! I am in the prime of my youth, after all!” he crowed, quite unnecessarily Gaara thought but not unexpectedly, really, and threw his arms in the air as his eyes went ablaze with passion. “Everyone else is recovering as well! Neji and Choji’s surgeries went great, and Kiba and Naruto are both awake as well!” At the mention of the boisterous, blonde-haired ninja’s name, Gaara’s mouth drew into a taut line and he cast his head down.

Naruto Uzumaki. He was a strange boy, a boy so like him it was frightening. It was Naruto who had made Gaara see that the path he was on was the wrong one. He owed him a lot. And yet, he hadn’t said a word to him since that day…

“Is… Naruto still in the hospital?”

“Oh, yes. His fight with Sasuke left him with quite a lot of injuries. He has decided to leave on a training mission as soon as he is healed!” Lee reported, then looked up at the sky with quivering lips and eyes swimming with tears as he gripped his fist tightly. “Such determination and dedication to a friend! Naruto is truly remarkable!”

“Yes… He is…” Gaara mumbled in agreement. His face felt kind of hot. _He’s leaving, then…_

“Why do you ask? Would you like to see him?” At that prompting, Gaara jumped and began to sputter some excuses, embarrassed. Lee didn’t really listen to his answer, though. “Come with me! Let us go see Naruto together~!” he chimed and grabbed him by his red sash to literally drag him into the hospital. Gaara was so in shock he was able to little but force his feet to move as Lee carted him around the hospital and deposited him in front of the door to Naruto’s room. At first he just stared blankly, unable to cope with so much happening in so little time, so Lee took the initiative to throw the door open and shove Gaara inside. “Naruto! I have brought you a visitor!” he cheered in delight. Meanwhile, Gaara’s face was flushing the color of his hair, and he was pretty sure his brain had been reduced to jelly because all he could do was gawk pitifully at the bandage-wrapped boy sitting in the hospital bed staring out the window. As he saw Naruto’s head turn, he inhaled sharply and ducked behind Lee, peering around his shoulder with wide eyes. “Huh? Why are you hiding, Gaara?”

“Gaara?” Naruto blinked and leaned forward to catch sight of the redhead huddling awkwardly behind Lee. Gaara’s shoulders hunched up to his ears as he short-circuited. _No! I can’t do this!_ He thought wildly as he looked everywhere but at Naruto. As his eyeballs rolled around in his head they still managed to land on him, though, and found him smiling kindly. “Shikamaru told me all about how you guys came and saved everybody. Thanks.” Gaara’s pink cheeks continued to burn as he finally forced himself to look at him.

“Oh… It was… Nothing…”

“It was not ‘nothing’ at all! You should have seen the way he dealt with Kimimaro, Naruto! It was quite spectacular indeed!” Lee crowed. Gaara smiled weakly, glad that Lee was singing his praises and appreciated his efforts. It made him happy that he could move past the awful things he did and look at him in such a way. _If he can… Maybe Naruto will, too…_ He took a small breath and slowly stepped out from behind Lee, holding his head up a little bit as his fingers twitched awkwardly.

“I… Wanted to see… If you were well,” he told Naruto slowly. The blue-eyed boy blinked a few times, then grinned broadly, so broadly that his eyes and nose scrunched up. _He looks really glad that I asked!_ Gaara thought with a flutter of hope.

“Yeah, o’course! It’ll take more than this to take me down! Just wait ‘n see, I’ll be up and at ‘em again in no time!” Naruto’s boundless energy and optimism soothed Gaara somewhat, and he felt himself relax a little. He hadn’t reacted with anger, so that was at least something.

“That’s good.” He felt his lips curling into a small smile. He then jumped as Naruto threw back the covers and jumped out of the bed to scamper over to him. Gaara stiffened like a board as Naruto literally looked him up and down, bobbing and weaving to inspect him at all angles, then brought his face close to his own with squinting eyes.

“You’re _different_.”

“I am?” he squeaked in alarm. It was true, he was, but the entire situation still had him sparking like fulgurite in the sand. After a second, he realized what Naruto meant, and he nodded eagerly. “I-I _am._ Y-You see, Naruto, I, uh…” he trailed off, his gaze falling to his feet as he struggled to form the words. He knew Naruto would appreciate it most if he just came right out and said it. _I want him to know the truth…_ “After we fought, I realized that I could be different… I wanted… to be like you,” he muttered as he flushed slightly, and looked up to meet his curious gaze. “Life is… different for me now, and I was… I was wondering if… we could be friends.” His voice grew quieter and quieter as he went on, until it was nothing more than a whisper. As he finished, Naruto’s eyes went wide as moons, and he just stared at him for a second. Gaara internally panicked, thinking that perhaps Naruto wanted no such thing.

However, the boy gave him his happiest, most friendly smile.

“Of course, Gaara! I’ll be your friend! Your very _first_ friend!” he agreed adamantly and nodded his head up and down. Lee jumped over to give him an identical grin and a thumbs-up.

“I will be your second friend, because two friends is much better than one, yes?” Gaara looked between the two of them, then smiled shyly and nodded with a pink hue to his cheeks. _Friends… I have friends…_ He felt an unfamiliar feeling bubbling up inside him that made him feel warm, fuzzy, content. _Is this… What it feels like to be happy?_ He glanced up again to find that the room was filling with gold, spilling in from the window as the sun outside set. It cast Naruto and Lee in its brilliance, highlight the sheer joy on their faces, and then washed over Gaara, making him feel even warmer. _Yes, it must be._

“Hey, the sun is setting,” Lee remarked as he looked over his shoulder. Naruto followed suit, and then looked back at Gaara with a devilish grin.

“Hey, I’ve got an _idea._ ”

A few seconds later Gaara was watching with extreme concern as Naruto hung from the frame of the window, his legs kicking and his tongue sticking out as he judged the distance to the ground.

“Erm… Naruto… Why don’t we just go out the front door?”

“Because I’m not allowed to leave, duh!” he barked back as his sandals scraped the outside of the wall. Before Gaara could comment, the boy dropped down to the ground and landed in the bushes with a frightened _aaack!_ Gaara watched with a frown as he thrashed around in the quivering leaves, then crawled out from underneath the hedges, wheezing and covered in the green plant growth. He stood up and brushed himself off with a weary sigh, then called up to him impatiently. “Hurry up! We don’t have a lot of time!” Gaara had no idea what they were rushing for, but he obediently climbed out of the window and dropped down to the ground, landing quite more gracefully than the pair of leaf ninja. He had left his gourd at the hotel, otherwise he would have used his sand to glide down. As he stepped out of the bushes, brushes the little leaves out of his clothes, Naruto grabbed him by the wrist and yanked him into a run. “C’mon, c’mon, we gotta hurry!”

“O-okay!” he squawked as he stumbled after him. Once again, all he could do was struggle to keep up as the pair of Leaf ninja bustled him along the streets of Konoha, laughing and hooting excitedly. Their shadows were stretched and distorted in the setting sun, playfully bobbing along beneath them as they weaved around shopping stalls and small crowds, jumping about and startling the vendors and shoppers and earning frustrated yells in response. Lee and Naruto just laughed it off, continuous to raucously race through the town until they arrived to a lush, green wood. The golden sunlight of the sunset vanished beneath the shade of the green, and the scent of dust and the market was replaced by loamy earth and forest must. The tall grass whipped at Gaara’s legs and the tree branches plucked at his hair, while the moisture condensed on his face. Just as the golden ball dipped below the horizon and left the world in cool shade, they burst out of the undergrowth into a clearing, where a canvas of stars instead of a blanket of leaves lie above their heads. “What are we-?”

“ _Shh!”_ Naruto hissed and put a finger to his lips. Gaara obediently pressed his own together despite his acute befuddlement. “Just wait a second. They’ll be out soon.” _“They”? **Who**? _Naruto and Lee kept looking at the clearing’s edge excitedly, bristling with anticipation, while Gaara wondered who they could be waiting on. Turns out it wasn’t a _who_ at all.

Gaara stared in amazement as little flickering lights began to drift out of the trees. The little white balls drifted along the breeze, shambling along the current as they blinked softly. It seemed like the stars themselves had descended to the ground to dance, circling the three young boys in a silent waltz just above the grass. Gaara crouched down and cupped his hands as once of them drifted close, his blueish eyes reflecting the soft glow as he gazed at it in absolute wonder.

“What are they?” he whispered, afraid his breath may startle it away. The little light hovered in his hands, casting his face in that soft white brilliance. He didn’t move as Naruto and Lee leaned over his shoulders.

“They’re called fireflies.”

“You do not have them in the desert, right, Gaara?” He shhok his head slowly, weighing every movement carefully to avoid startling the little creature. As it settled on his hands, he could discern that it was a little bug with a blinking bulb on its tail end. It tickled his palm as it scurried around, and then it fluttered its tiny wings and flew off to join the rest of its sparkling brethren in their moonlight dance. Gaara’s eyes followed it, almost saddened to see it depart.

“They’re beautiful…”

“I knew you’d love ‘em!” Naruto snickered as he stretched out in the grass. A torrent of the fireflies rushed into the air as he laid down, rising above him in a swirling, glittering cloud. He exhaled deeply as he put his hands behind his head. “Sometimes I just like to come out here and watch ‘em fly around, y’know? Makes me forget the stressful things.”

“Indeed! Plus they are simply marvelous to look at!” Lee agreed as he flopped down in a similar fashion. Gaara noticed that there was a significant amount of space between them. “Come on, Gaara!” Lee insisted and patted the ground. With that similar feeling swelling in his chest again, Gaara nodded and laid down on his back between them. At first, feeling the grass was a bit odd since he was not used to it, but soon he found it comforting. As he stared up at the clouds drifting across the starry night sky, and the fireflies flitting about in the air between that sky and them, he _did_ feel at ease. He smiled as one of them landed in his bright red hair, and then giggled. “I am very glad you are having a good time!” Lee beamed at him. The brightness of his smile could rival the moon.

“You said it! You know what, we should get ramen after this!” Naruto agreed with a nod of his head and his eyes scrunched up in joy. Gaara was exceptionally happy, surrounded by the strange bugs and beside his two very first friends, until he realized something.

“… I have to go home soon.”

“Oh. Yeah, that is kinda a bummer, isn’t it?” Naruto frowned and scratched his cheek.

“Not to worry!” Lee interjected, and Gaara looked at him. “It does not matter how far apart we are! We are always friends! That is a fact!”

“Yeah! And besides, you can come visit. And we can go visit you! I’m sure there’s lotsa cool stuff in the desert you can show us!” Naruto chimed in. Gaara swiveled his head to look at both of them again, smiling brightly, and then laughed.

“Yes, you’re right. I’ll remember that.” He smiled in contentment and laid his head back, watching the little glowing lights flit about while his own happiness glowed within. Not only had he made friends, but some good ones.

That was something he could hold on to forever, along with the memory of the fireflies in the night, carrying all the wonder and beauty of a future untold, and the promise of a friendship to last a lifetime…


	20. Life's a Circus

Category: Friendship Fluff

Characters: Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno

Requested By: KoalaTakingNotes (FanFiction)

“A circus?”

Sakura’s green eyes widened as Naruto elatedly presented the colorful flyer that he had spotted on the window of a local pastry shop during his jaunt to meet the pink-haired kunoichi at Ichiraku Ramen for dinner. Now that the war was over and the world was all peace-filled, they had taken to scheduling weekly get-togethers of the team. Sai was off on a mission this evening, but he and Sakura had decided to meet anyway because neither of them had anything better to do; when he had spotted the announcement, he had instantly realized that it was the perfect opportunity to shake up the hum-drum of routine.

“Yeah! They’ve put up a big pavilion in one of the training grounds! It starts in an hour; if we book it, we can totally make it, believe it!” The last time he had been to the circus was that business in Crescent Moon Island, way back when he was a plucky little Genin. He had thoroughly enjoyed it then, and there was no reason that several years later the opposite would be true. “It says they got a hypnotist!” he insisted while fervently pointing at the exciting script that indicated such. Sakura’s lips were pursed in a look of displeasure and uncertainty that he had often seen her wear.

“I don’t know, Naruto. A hypnotist? Sounds like a sham. It’s probably genjutsu.”

“Who cares?” he whined and slouched over dramatically. Then, pouring as much pleading sparkle into his clear blue eyes as he could muster, he tilted his head upwards into a begging puppy-dog expression, bottom lip poked out and his cheeks filling with the rosy innocence of an endearing child. “Please, Sakura? It’ll be fun! Believe it!” Sakura rolled her eyes at his deplorable attempts at placating her, but he knew it worked like a charm from the faint smile that graced her lips. She exhaled deeply while tossing a hand through her sakura-colored hair.

“Oh, all right… It is something different, after all.” Naruto cheered with delight and shoved the flyer back into his trusty pouch before grabbing Sakura by the hand, insisting that they take off that instant. The girl yelped some kind of startled response as he jerked on her arm, pulling her into a run to make a mad dash for the big top circus that they could just barely see poking above the horizon of village buildings and trees that was the Hidden Leaf Village.

~~~~~~~~~~

Naruto was literally vibrating with energy as he sat beside Sakura in the bleachers that circled the circus floor; his leg bounced at lightspeed as he shoved handfuls of popcorn into his mouth, practically embodying the image of a twitchy chipmunk. “Calm down, will you? It’s just a circus, Naruto.” The words would’ve irritated him if it weren’t for her playful tone of voice. As he gave her a side-eye, strategically maneuvering the half-eaten popcorn in his mouth so as not to choke and die, she flashed him that sweet smile of hers and leaned over to grab a handful of the popcorn from the bucket and eat it in a much more delicate manner than himself. If he had been in this situation a year prior, Naruto would’ve been swooning at the prospect that he and Sakura were on a date, but he no longer had any fantasies of such; at some point his romantic affections for the girl had been replaced by friendship and respect. A lot of that had to do with Sasuke, who had more or less acknowledged Sakura’s feelings for him and in his own weird way expressed some level of mutual attraction, though that was yet undecided; he had left her at the village entrance with only cryptic words as before, disappearing into the blue for his mission for atonement or whatever. Regardless, Naruto was actually quite happy with the situation. He liked spending time with Sakura on just a friendship basis and wasn’t actively seeking anything more.

“Hey, are you paying attention? The show is about to start!” Sakura’s giggly voice and elbow into his ribs brought him out of his introspection. His eyes fixed onto the streaming stage lights, white circles tracing patterns across the packed dirt floor before settling on the ringmaster dramatically flourishing on a decorated pedestal.

“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome!” he announced, and the crowd responded with a raucous chorus of cheers and claps. The ringmaster gave the characteristic, dramatic introduction before vanishing beyond the cloth fabric of the big top, allowing the performers to literally steal his show. Naruto and Sakura soon became engrossed in the splendorous performances of the circus actors; graceful acrobats performed gravity-defying feats of gymnastics upon thin ropes and swinging bars, leaping across the air in complex flips and spins. Next, a set of ribbon dancers glided down from a catwalk high above their heads. Sakura thoroughly enjoyed this bit, tears filling her enraptured eyes as powerful instrumental music echoed about the big top to accompany the dancers elegantly soared around the room like beautiful birds (in fact, their costumed features plumaged leotards and ornate feathered headdresses); Naruto thought it was pretty but had no idea why Sakura seemed so emotional about the entire dance, and when he commented on this she whacked him over the head and called him an uncultured twit. As he nursed the goose egg that was already poking out of his fluffy blonde hair, he made a mental note to just let her cry over whatever she wanted with no comment.

A parade of animals, tigers and monkeys and elephants clothed in patterned fabrics led by similarly clothed retainers, marched a circle around the big top before dispersing across the floor to engage in a series of tricks. Acrobats danced across the elephants, lightly flitting over their backs and across their thick trunks; the monkeys juggled a few balls and engaged in humorous banter with a posse of clowns that had Naruto rolling in his seat, leaving Sakura the one to be unimpressed; the twin tigers demonstrated their roaring prowess before leaping through flaming hoops. By the time the crux of the performance arrived, the promised hypnotist, Naruto and Sakura were thoroughly entertained.

The performer glided out onto center stage like a phantom, silent but nonetheless captivating. A black mask eclipsed his facial features, and as he swung his arm in a dramatic flourish, the cape he was wearing flapped like dark bats entering the night from their dank cave. Piercing blue eyes flitted across the crowd, smug and calculating.

“For my performance tonight, I require a set of volunteers. Would anyone like to step forward?” Naturally the crowd exploded into thunderous cheers and cries, and hands waved in the air like flags flapping in a fierce breeze. Of course, Naruto jumped to his feet hooting and hollering like a buffoon, making Sakura grimace beside him; his little stunt worked, however, as the hypnotist’s eyes fixed upon him and a smirk graced his thin lips. “I think you and that lovely lady you’re with will do quite nicely. Would you please join me?” he asked, and Naruto was momentarily blinded as the stage lights shifted to bathe them in their intense white brilliance- or, perhaps he was blinded by the opportunity at stardom.

“C’mon, Sakura, let’s go!” he snickered as he grasped her hand tightly to drag her out of the bleachers and down to the circus floor. The poor girl stumbled to keep up with Naruto’s manic energy. His giggles floated behind them in a song, and he was still chuckling in anticipation as he joined the very handsome hypnotist on the floor. He could tell that he was handsome because a light blush painted Sakura’s cheeks when he took her hand to lightly kiss the top of it, like a prince would a princess. He gave Naruto a regal bow, which Naruto returned politely and somehow did not lose his balance and make a fool of himself.

“Very good. Now, ladies and gentlemen, I will recite the ancient words and when I finish, these two will be compelled to do as I wish. You two, just stand there for a moment, please,” he purred with another flourish of his cape, raising his hands in what was undoubtedly some form of intricate incantation. Naruto and Sakura looked at each other out of the corners of their eyes as he began to utter some sort of foreign language. Naruto supposed he should have felt something, something related to the supposed magic or genjutsu or whatever the hypnotist was doing, but he felt nothing. He could tell from the puzzled look on Sakura’s face that she felt the same; likely she had already released the genjutsu if there was one, and was about to make him out to be a fraud. _Is this guy really a sham?_ He wondered as the man finished speaking. No tingling, no sleepiness, nothing at all; Naruto ran his hands over his body to ensure that he was no different, but he was not. As he moved, the hypnotist’s electric eyes locked onto Naruto. “You there. Do you know how to dance?”

“Do what?” Naruto spluttered. _What the hell kinda question is that?!_

“Dance. I think you do. Why don’t you show the audience, please?” Naruto was about to tell him to shove off, but all of a sudden his body suddenly jerked without him even thinking about it.

“What the-?” he squeaked in fright as his arms and legs suddenly started moving on their own, and he swept an equally surprised Sakura up in some form of elaborate tango, one hand on her hip and the other grasping hers as he spun her around and around the circus floor.

“Naruto! What do you think you’re doing?!” she snapped at him as he very uncoordinatedly wrenched her around in some poor excuse for ballroom.

“I dunno! My body just started moving on its own!” he cried back. His response was nearly drowned by the crowd’s mixture of cheers and laughter. Naruto’s ears began to burn with embarrassment, and he shot a glare out into the bleachers as his shoulders hunched up haughtily. “Bastards! Stop laughin’!” he whined.

“Stop, please.” At the hypnotist’s utterance, Naruto abruptly regained control of his body, and he jumped away from his partner to begin stomping over to the hypnotist. His teeth were grinding and he was rolling up the sleeve of his jumpsuit while he flexed his arm muscles for a very savage punch.

“What’d you do ta me? Why I oughta-“

“You _ought to_ take a nap, please.”

Next thing Naruto knew, he was blinking awake, lying flat on his back in the sandy floor of the circus. Sakura was leaning over him, her pink eyebrows knit together in concern.

“What the-?” he mumbled groggily as he wearily lifted his head. Another goose egg had joined the one Sakura had given him earlier, and a wheedling whine slipped out of him as his fingers caressed the very tender lumps. “Ouch…”

“You passed out all of a sudden, and as soon as he told you to wake up, you did,” Sakura murmured to him as she placed a hand at the small of his back to help him sit up. Naruto’s bottom lip poked out as he glowered at the charismatic hypnotist, who had his arms crossed and a very accomplished smirk decorating his annoyingly pretty face.

“It’s definitely some type of genjutsu,” he grumbled as he pushed himself up to his feet, brushing the dirt off his bottom and back before dramatically pointing at the hypnotist. “Stop makin’ a fool of me! I know your trick, believe it!” He then whirled on his heel to face Sakura, making her eyebrows shoot up to her forehead. “Hit me! It’ll get rid of the genjutsu, right?”

“Don’t be a moron.”

“The young lady is right, you know. My hypnotism isn’t some trick just _anyone_ can beat,” the hypnotist chuckled lightly with a small shrug and light toss of his head. He cracked an eye open when Sakura scoffed loudly. Naruto beamed as the confident smirk jumped from the hypnotist’s face to hers. “Oh? You think you’ve figured it out? Let’s test the theory then, shall we? Miss, why don’t you come over here and give me a kiss, please?”

“Do _what_?!” Naruto screeched. “Sakura, there’s no wa- _ehhh?_ ” When the blonde turned once more to stare incredulously at the pink-haired kunoichi, he found her not at his side, but sidling over to the very amused hypnotist who was leaning to the side tapping his cheek with his index finger expectantly. Sakura clasped her hands behind her back and shyly wiggled her shoulders, and Naruto smirked. _Hah! She’s just acting! She’s about to sock this loony into next week!_

Naruto’s jaw hit the floor when she did not in fact deliver one of her signature punches to the smug bastard, but instead leaned over and very delicately pressed her lips to his cheek. All the while those glittering blue eyes bored into Naruto’s, issuing a daring challenge. Steam blew out of Naruto’s ears and his teeth nearly ground themselves into dust. Sakura, meanwhile, composed herself and jumped backwards with a horrified gasp, her hands flying to her mouth and her green eyes wide as moons.

“D-did I just-?!”

The girls in the crowd, meanwhile, were losing their minds. It seemed they were quite jealous of Sakura’s opportunity to deliver a kiss to the beguiling young man. As Naruto continued to rage, the hypnotist laughed in a carefree manner and dramatically bowed to the crowd.

The hypnotist spent the rest of his performance making an utter fool out of Naruto and parading Sakura around as some sort of bewitching, beautiful partner of his. By the end of it, they were both red-faced and steaming like tomatoes in the sun. Meanwhile, the hypnotist was lapping up the crowd, bowing as roses rained down on him.

“Thank you, thank you! It has been a splendorous evening! Please give a round of applause to my lovely two assistants,” he purred while holding out a rose to Sakura, who promptly snatched it out of his hand and crumpled the poor flower in her overpowered fist. Naruto was in as foul a mood; his eye had been twitching for the last ten minutes now, and it was beginning to ache.

“We are never going to the circus again.”

“No, never,” Naruto muttered in agreement.

~~~~~~~~~~

“The nerve of that jerk! He made total fools of us!” Naruto snapped as soon as he located the nearest trash can and kicked it over. He then felt bad when it startled a nearby stray cat and sent it slinking into the alleyway with a terrified mew. “Oh, no, kitty, I’m so sorry!” he wailed in dismay and crawled through the upended trash after it. The cat did not forgive him, and he slunk back to Sakura covered in scratches and his pride even more bruised. The girl seemed not to notice at all; she had her hand on her chin and her eyebrows knitted as she pondered something deeply. “Yo, what’re thinkin’ about so hard?”

“That _hypnotist._ He _had_ to have been using some kind of genjutsu, but why wasn’t I able to release it?”

“Who knows? Who _cares_? I wanna forget about the whole ordeal,” he groaned while assuming a cross-legged position right in the middle of the street. Half of the village had been there, and he knew that he was going to be dogged about his laughable antics for weeks. Sakura was not so willing to do so. The ground cracked underneath her as she stamped her foot, making Naruto yelp and cringe.

“No! I have to know!”

“Jeez! Would you just forget about it, please?” he argued back hotly. He saw Sakura’s body tense and he immediately curled up, shielding his tender head from a third blow from the undoubtedly irate kunoichi. The expected fist never fell, and he gingerly peered out of the gap in his arms to see Sakura with a completely puzzled expression on her face. “Sakura?”

“I forgot what I was talking about just now.” Naruto would’ve told her not to joke about things like that, knowing she would be playing off the hypnotism, but as good as an actor she was, she could not fake the acute level of confusion and concern that was painted across her features at that moment. Naruto lowered his arms, his eyebrow rising instead. “I… really don’t remember.”

The lightbulb blazed in Naruto’s head.

“Sakura… Did that guy ever actually _release_ the hypnotism?” She put a finger to her lips as she pondered the question, and her expression gradually turned more horrified.

“Now that you mention it… He didn’t do another weird incantation, did he?” The silence settled between them like a thick fog… and was promptly blasted away as the simultaneously released mortified screeches and pulled at their hair.

“You mean we’re gonna be like this forever?!”

“Hell no! We have to find a way to release this genjutsu! I can’t be doing weird things every time someone says ‘please’!” Sakura cried as she very angrily ruffled her pink hair about. She then grabbed Naruto by the wrist, ignoring his whimper as he felt his bones crunch under her much-too-tight grip. “Come on! We aren’t sleeping until we sort this out!” He tried to dig in his feet, but he only accomplished scoring deep trenches into the earth. His whines and begs for Sakura to release him floated up into the night air, ignored and forgotten as she concentrated on fuming about their dismal situation…

~~~~~~~~~~

Naruto’s bottom lip was wobbling and tears were quietly leaking from his eyes as he gingerly held an ice pack around his very likely broken wrist, huddled on the floor like some sort of depressed gremlin. Sakura, completely unaware of the injury she had caused him, had pulled her hair up into a short ponytail and was chewing on the eraser end of a pencil, staring down at the words she had scribbled down onto a scrap sheet of paper. The brilliant girl had of course memorized the words should they come in handy to breaking the genjutsu. “This definitely isn’t a language I’ve heard before. The secret must lie in these words. Perhaps it’s some sort of cipher…” she mumbled to herself. She had been just staring at it for nearly an hour, and it was late into the night. Naruto was sleepy. With a groan, he flopped onto his side and peered up at her wearily through his bangs.

“Can’t we just figure this out in the morning?”

“No!” Naruto rolled onto his back and kicked his legs and arms about like a child throwing a tantrum. “Stop acting like a child, Naruto! Please.” Per the hypnosis, he immediately ceased all actions and his face grew deadpan.

“I have paperwork to do.”

“If that’s your idea of being an adult, I’m concerned,” she snorted with laughter. Naruto regained his sense, blinking, and then grimaced deeply. As much as he wanted to crawl into his bed and conk out, it _was_ annoying to be subject to the hypnotism. He dragged himself up into a sitting position- well, more of a slouching position- and frowned at her while she continued to tut to herself. It didn’t take long for his attention span to lapse and the boredom to itch beneath his skin. _Man, this is so lame! If I have to sit here and just watch her try to figure this out all night, I’m gonna go nuts!_ he complained to himself. His eyes wandered over to the cipher scrawled onto the paper, which had apparently not yet revealed anything to the smart young woman. _So the rule of the hypnosis is if you say “please” after telling someone what to do, they gotta do it, right?_ A mischievous egg hatched into a devilish little chick of an idea in his mind. Sakura was too busy thinking to notice the wily grin spread across his face.

“Hey, Sakura. Do a handstand, please.” Her cry of protest caught in her throat as her body reacted against her will, and he cackled in triumph as she literally threw herself into the form. She spit thin strands of pink hair from her lips as her green eyes burned like smoldering sea foam. “Ahahaha! Now I get why it’s so funny!”

“Naruto, cluck like a chicken, please.” Sakura had not even fallen from the handstand before the words left her mouth, dripping with acidic anger. The gasp that he was going to release exited as a loud squawk, and she smirked while Naruto tried to speak and only managed to utter ridiculous clucks for a good few seconds. As she rolled onto her back and sat up again, tossing her ruffled hair over her shoulder, Naruto sniffed dourly. It was definitely on now.

“All right, Sakura, I want you to howl like a wolf for a whole minute, _please!_ ” Naruto scrambled out of the way of her attempted stranglehold, and as she flopped on her belly grasping at the air where he had been sitting just a few precious seconds before, she opened her mouth and let out a long, not-very-wolf-like howl. Her green eyes flashed with malice and she scrambled after him, chasing him around and around his bedroom, howling like a deranged dog all the while. When she finally managed to wrangle him into submission, straddling him while pinning him with her arm pressed into his throat, the hypnosis had lapse. She brought her face close to his. Her grin bordered on lunacy.

“You want to play this game, do ya? Okay then…”

Their motive had switched from deciphering the genjutsu to making each other do the most ridiculous things possible, and Naruto soon regretted provoking Sakura, because her ideas were far more satanic than any he could ever think up. “Pull your socks off with your teeth, _please_! Go walk down the street on your hands, _please_! Try and drink this glass of water standing on your head, _please_!” By the time Naruto was crawling up the steps to his apartment after jumping out of the window at Sakura’s command, he was breathing hard and wallowing in regret.

“Okay, Sakura, I’m sorry! No more!” he whined as he dragged himself through the threshold of the door. She could have told him to beg for forgiveness and kiss her boots, and he would do it without her even saying “please.” She towered over him, arms crossed and the picture of triumph.

“Ah-ah-ah. I have one more command for you, Naruto.” He let out a whimper and grabbed onto her boot with tears streaming down his whiskered cheeks.

“Please… Have mercy…” he pleaded as she squatted down in front of him. Her smirk sent shivers down his spine.

“Tell me your deepest, darkest secrets, _please_.” Mercy, it seemed, was not in Sakura’s vocabulary. The words began to tumble from his mouth like an avalanche.

“One time, Iruka-sensei almost caught me with a dirty magazine and I panicked and shoved it in Kiba’s desk and he got in trouble for it even though it was mine and he still doesn’t know I was the one who hid it there. This other time when I was staying in a hotel with Jiraiya-sensei I broke a vase and I just kind of stuck it back together and I dunno if anyone ever found out about it. Then this other time-“ Naruto continued rattling off his secrets, mostly pranks and attempts of hiding stupid decisions, until finally he sputtered, “- and I’m pretty sure I’m in love with Hinata but I’m honestly not sure what to do about it because I’m pretty dumb when it comes to that, y’know?”

The last one came as a shock even to him. He knew he has always liked Hinata- maybe not in a romantic sense at first, but he did like her; she was sweet, and humble, and pretty, and encouraging… Naruto’s cheeks flushed with both embarrassment and breathlessness as he stared uncomfortably up at the woman who had yanked the confession out of him. Sakura’s eyes had widened, and she was just staring at him. “S-Say something, okay!”

“Wow,” she breathed as she fell back into a sitting position, putting a hand up to her mouth as she considered the weighty reveal. “I had no idea, Naruto.”

“Yeah, well, me either. Guess we both know now,” he huffed as he pushed himself up. They now sat across from one another, cross-legged and pink-faced. “… So… What should I do, Sakura?” The playful mood had evaporated. Naruto wanted to get serious now. The cat was out of the bag, so he might as well get some advice from the one person who understood love better than anyone else. Sakura clicked her tongue as she leaned back a little, her head tilted upwards as she pondered how to explain the predicament.

“Well, Naruto, have you ever just considered telling her how you feel?”

“Sakura, I’m dumb, okay? Until ten seconds ago I didn’t even know what I had was a crush. Plus, y’know, I’m not good with words all the time. I’m afraid I’ll sound stupid.”

“Good point,” she laughed dryly and looked at him with a soft smile. “You know that Hinata loves you, right?” Naruto knew that, or at least he thought he did. She had said something of the sort during his battle with Pain, but he was a little delirious from blood loss and had gone berserk immediately after. He was never really sure what had really happened that day so he had ignored it. It was probably a stupid decision on his part, in hindsight. His confusion on the matter must have shown in his face, because Sakura exhaled deeply. “Naruto, Hinata is definitely in love with you, so at least you won’t have to face the possibility of rejection. Hinata already confessed to you once, and that took a lot of strength. I’m not sure it’ll happen again, so you should probably be the one to approach her.”

“Yeah…”

“Just say what you feel, Naruto. Honesty is what matters.” That made sense. Sakura had always been honest with Sasuke, even if he had rejected her at first, and it had worked out for her in the end. Feeling better about the situation, he flashed her a bright smile.

“Yeah! Thanks, Sakura! I’m gonna tell Hinata how I feel, believe it!” He pumped his fists a little, feeling energized. Sakura giggled and leaned over to take the paper with the incantation on it. Naruto jumped as she suddenly slapped her forehead and groaned loudly. “What? What is it?”

“I’m so dumb!” she sighed and crumpled up the sheet of paper to toss it Naruto’s wastebasket. Naruto must have been even dumber because he had no idea of the revelation she had stumbled upon. “How could we have not thought to say the words again and see if the jutsu breaks?” As soon as she said it, Naruto slammed his head into the floor as the weight of their combined idiocy struck him. _Of course_ it had been that simple! Sakura had overthought it and Naruto really hadn’t been thinking at all in the first place, so naturally something so simple flew right over their heads. Sakura quickly recited the incantation and then timidly said, “Okay, Naruto, raise your right hand, please.” The young man held his breath as he waited for his body to spontaneously react… but he was not compelled in the slightest.

“It worked!” he cheered and flung _both_ of his hands into the air. Sakura breathed a sigh and held her feet as she leaned back, her shoulder joints popping as she rolled them, as if she had been relieved of a great weight. Naruto gazed at her, and then began to snicker uncontrollably. She gave him a quizzical look. “Tonight was fun, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, it was,” she agreed with a serene smile. She glanced out of the window, where the starry night sky glistened beyond the thin pane of glass. “It’s gotten late.”

“Ya want me to walk you home?”

“Actually, I was thinking I could stay. We don’t always get time to talk like this since you go on so many missions, Mr. World Savior,” she responded with a wink. Naruto was surprised, but not unpleasantly. He grinned widely and scooched a bit closer to Sakura with that radiant smile still plastered on his face.

“Okay! Let’s talk, then!”

Thus, he and Sakura talked deep into the night about all manners of things. They reminisced of memories and contemplated the future; their emotions rolled between happiness and sadness and everything in between. They both collapsed in a mess of blankets and pillows on Naruto’s floor just as the sun was creeping above the horizon to paint the indigo sky in shades of gold. The sunlight streamed into the room to bathe the two lifelong friends in its warmth, the light catching on the smiles still ghosting their lips as they basked in dreams of days gone and yet to come…


End file.
